Tuesday, March 24th, 2020.  Day 4: 8C Geography Test
Wednesday, March 25th, 2020. Day 5: 8A & 8B Geography Test

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww2iYWbfHPg

The Central America Song

Oye!

Vamos muchacho!

Central America

Central America

North of Columbia

South of America

And south of the United States lies the great country of Mexico

between the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico

And in the Gulf of Mexico lie Cuba and the Caribbean

Mexico City is enormous

More than 20 million

And to the south lie ….

(The chorus is sung 4 times.)

Guatemala. Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua,  Costa Rica and Panama

Mas rapido!

Guatemala. Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua,  Costa Rica and Panama

Mas rapido!

Guatemala. Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua,  Costa Rica and Panama

Mas rapido!

Guatemala. Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua,  Costa Rica and Panama

Mas rapido!

Woooooooeeeeee!

Connecting the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic  is the Panama Canal.

Yes, the Panama Canal!

So when the boats want to get across the Americas, they go through and not around,

Yes, through and not around

And, south of Mexico….

Guatemala. Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua,  Costa Rica and Panama

How could a nation or city-state prepare for a pandemic?

1. The virus must be contained, so non essential flights or public gatherings will be postponed or curtailed. Schools might have to be closed.
2. Hand sanitizer and soap needs to be available.  Companies must ramp up production.
3. Stores must prevent hoarding, so they need to limit lysol wipes and other items per person. 
4. The schools, parents, students and communities must promote a healthy environment in which public hygiene is practised and required.  Government offices and companies must do the same.
5. Hospital need to be equipped to handle a huge influx of patients and special devices such as respirators.
6. There needs to be a sufficient number of doctors, nurses, and hospital staff.
7. Government committees need to practise and establish pandemic exercises and protocol.
8. Masks need to be available or stock piled.
9. People might have to work from home.  A special disaster relief fund or economic stimulus package needs to be made available.
10.  We- as nation -must invest in research and development.

Grade 8 Upcoming Geography Test: Settlements, the Environment, and Factors that Attract
People /30 marks

Part A: You need to understand the following terms. /10 marks

10 The Environmental Factors that Affect Settlements

climate- the average weather of an area over a long period of time
physical process- any naturally occurring change on or in Earth, such as an Earthquake
climate change- changes in long-term weather patterns caused by natural events and human activity
volcanic activity- the Ring of Fire outlines where the Pacific plate meets with plates from Asia to Australia
and from North to South America
desertification- the unplanned process of turning arable land into a desert because of factors
such as reduced rainfall and poorly-thought-out agricultural policies; lands become deserts
dry lands- are areas with a long growing season with very light precipitation levels, such as semi-desert scrub
and grasslands
landslides - caused by heavy rains, melting snow, clear cutting and earthquakes.
coastal erosion -occurs when there is a gradual or rapid wearing away of the coastline from wind, water and time.
pandemic- a disease spreads quickly in a community
flooding- long periods of rain or the thawing of rivers can not only create ice jams
but rivers can swell and cause flooding i.e. the Grand River in the 1970's affected Brantford, Ontario

Part B: You must be able to answer the following questions or how these factors affect settlements and what
can be done about these factors.

10 marks

1. Provide an example when drought has affected an area and what were the effects?

Severe drought occurred in the Amazon basin in the year 2005.  This happened again 5 years
later. The loss of tree canopy and trees led to trees not growing back in some areas.  The effects include the following:
stranded boats, failed crops, extended pipelines to irrigate crops, and a migration away from farmlands. 
These factors affect settlements.

2. Why do people settle near volcanoes? 

There are mineral deposits such as gold, silver, and copper in these areas. Therefore, mining communities
exist.  The volcanic ash too is ideal for farming. Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines has ideal soil for
growing crops such as papaya.  Most importantly, these areas are known for geothermal energy.
Countries, such as Iceland, can harness this energy. Above all, active volcanic areas become tourist
destinations such Ecuador.

3. Which is more catastrophic, an earthquake or a tsunami?

In 2011, a tsunami hit northeastern Japan and cased the evacuation of 1/3 of a million people and the deaths
of nearly 20 000 people.  An earthquake in Haiti the year before led to the deaths of approximately 300 000
people. The seismic waves released from the epicenter of an earthquake, where two plates meet and release
great levels of energy.  The energy is transmitted through the water and the wave is amplified once it hits the
continental shelf and spills deep into the interior of the mainland. Earthquakes send shock waves that lift,
shake or liquefy soil.  After shocks, falling debris, and survival in a modern society that has seized to exist
usually results in a tremendous loss of life. For both, the level of population density determines the number
of causalities. Nations that can afford to rebuild attempt to build more flexible structures while other nations
rely on assistance.  In many cases, segments of the population are permanently displaced.

4. How do droughts or dry areas affect settlements?

Nearly 2/5th of the Earth surface is too dry to grow substantial crops. Poor soil, short growing seasons, and drought
affect your ability to grow food and to feed your people. Otherwise, you are dependent on other places for food.

China has attempted to build a ‘Great Green Wall’ by planting shrubs, grasses and trees along the Taklmakan
and Gobi deserts to attempt to curtail desertification.  Dust storms or seasons when dust storms are common
reduce visibility and damage equipment and buildings. Mineral deposits or fine nutrients can be carried by winds
from the Sahara Desert in North Africa to the rainforests of Central America.  This is perhaps the only benefit.

5. How is deforestation or logging a threat to the safety of communities?

 Deforestation or logging too many trees can kill roots and leave the barren mountainside vulnerable to erosion
and future landslides.  Mining operations too can trigger landslides as well as earthquakes. Ideally, settlements
should be built far from possible landslides and planting trees, shrubs and grasses can help reduce soil erosion
and even mudslides.  In 2014, over 150 deaths were attributed to a landslide in Nepal.

6. Are there pros and cons to warming temperatures?

There are pros and cons to the Earth’s temperature rising:

There are some pros: there will likely be extended growing seasons in areas that are 30 to 60 degrees’
latitude; new settlements may occur farther north in Canada, Europe and Russia; transportation may increase
once ice melts; and new employment opportunities may develop.

There are definitely cons: invasive species may migrate; desertification will increase; jobs may disappear if
new job opportunities move elsewhere; coastal regions become submerged underwater; animals will have
difficulty adapting and the number of species will continue to decrease if the change is not gradual. Even
industries, such as skiing, may have to diversify to other recreational activities or simply go out-of-business.

7.  Are there advantages and disadvantages to changing precipitation patterns?

This too is double-edged sword.  Less precipitation leads to drought and crop devastation.  More precipitation
may help other regions, but too much may result in floods, increased soil erosion, and crop failure.  Too much
rain increases the water content of fruits, such as grapes. Therefore, wine regions could be affected in terms
of quality of wines and job opportunities may diminish.

8. How have extreme storms affected cities or settlements?

After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, New Orleans was destroyed in many parts. Its flood plain is located beneath
sea level; many homes had to rebuilt once the levees broke.  The strongest hurricane, Typhoon Haiyan hit
the Philippines in 2013 with winds over 300 km/h. Hurricane prevention such as increasing the size of mangrove
forests to act as buffer zones is one option. Rather than claiming more land for  settlements, homes must be
relocated or built on stilts to prevent future loss of properties. Early warning systems must be improved.
Extreme storms may simply make certain coastal region uninhabitable or sustainable in the future.

9.  What about rising sea levels and how can they affect settlements?

Global sea levels have continued to rise since 1994 at over 3 mm each year.  Ocean ice
and glaciers continue
to melt, including the ice cap in Antarctica.  This leads to increased flooding of port lands,
business districts and
residential areas.  Nearly 1 billion people live along coastlines at that are merely 10 meters
above sea level.
  Islands in the South Pacific will eventually disappear if rising levels continue. 

Land reclamation efforts create new land in coastal areas.  Nearly ¼ of Hong Kong’s population lives on
reclaimed land. An airport off the coast, which is continually sinking as it settles since the land was not
compacted, was built by shaving the tops of a mountain range.  These areas, especially the Netherlands,
are at high risk. Property will become worthless and massive tides of population will need to be relocated.
These people will become the environmental refugees of the 21st century.

10. How do urban planners and engineers reduce coastal erosion?

 Engineers have created sea walls to slow down the process of erosion but the cost is quite
great. Ideally, it is best
to leave estuaries that contain wetlands so the wetlands act as a natural filter or liver for
the river and dense
vegetation can be untouched or vegetation can be planted to act as a buffer zone against coastal erosion. Building

codes must restrict the construction of homes along areas of erosion so homes do
not topple into the sea, lake or
river.

11. How does coast flooding harm communities?

Coastal flooding often deposit pollutants, such as salt, which make the soil infertile. 
Flooding from rivers
deposit natural nutrients found in silt along the river banks, but the levees prevent this natural
process in order
to protect settlements.  The soil is not replenished and artificial fertilizers are used t
o add more nitrogen to the soil.
The soil depletes in its depth and eventually it becomes infertile.  Coastal flooding
may encourage the planting
of salt-resistant strains of rice. Fields may be flooded again to replenish sediments.
Some farmers have begun to
farm catfish, shrimp, and crabs.   In efforts to adapt, areas such have Bangladesh,
have introduced floating
homes, hospitals, and libraries. These efforts are ingenious but temporary adaptations
to a changing
environment.

12. How could a city or nation prepare for a pandemic?

Part C: Here are ten factors that influence people to settle in a new city or country

/ 10 marks

10 Pull Factors for your City or Country

1. Countries are tolerant to refugees based on a criteria.
2. Immigration laws rank applicants according to education, skills, languages spoken and wealth or investment opportunities.
3. Educational opportunities attract people.
4. Job and career factors are a big reason.
5. A stable, sustainable, and diverse economy with a strong currency attracts investors and people.
6. Adequate health care and infrastructure are extremely important.
7. Political stability, democracy, inclusion and respect for people acts as a magnet for people.
8. There needs to be a practice of and a history for respecting human rights where minorities are not persecuted or excluded.
9. There could be an established ethnic community where  there are  family members. Diversity is respected.

10. There are few natural disasters and the weather or climate is not too extreme.  (This may be beyond your
control, but countries that limit carbon emissions will reduce the effects of global warming.  This is a man made
disaster.)

A song to learn all the American states

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E2CNZIlVIg

Tour of the States Lyrics

I want … to take a little trip somewhere.

Places...I’ve never been, yeah!

Going on a tour …without a care.

I want…to take a little trip somewhere, yeah!

Places…I’ve never been, yeah!

Going…on a tour….tour…tour.

First, I’m gonna’ see Nashville, Tennessee, then Madison, Wisconsin, is where I gotta be.

Yeah!

Then I’ll take a plane

Well, actually I’m afraid to fly, so I think I’ll take a train

Let’s go!

Going to Trenton, New Jersey;

Frankfurt, Kentucky;

Maybe take a trip to Jackson, Mississippi;

Let’s see what they can show me in Jefferson City, Missouri;

Santa Fe, New Mexico;

Denver, Colorado;

Boise, Idaho;

I love it every time that I go.

In 1492, he sailed the ocean blue, but next week I’ll see Columbus in Ohio.

Grab a little sunshine in Tallahassee, Florida;

Take a bite out a peach in Atlanta, Georgia

I’ve never been to Carson City, in Nevada or Lincoln, Nebraska;

You can catch me in Phoenix, Arizona or Sacramento, California, yeah,

St. Paul, Minnesota, maybe Juneau, Alaska, yeah!

Friends say I gotta come sooner to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

I want … to take a little trip somewhere.

Places...I’ve never been, yeah!

Going on a tour …without a care.

I want…to take a little trip somewhere, yeah!

Places…I’ve never been, yeah!

Going…on a tour….tour…tour.

Boston, Massachusetts;

Concord, New Hampshire;

Going to Vermont for Montpelier;

 Montgomery, Alabama; then Washington, D.C., to see the nation’s capital;

Aloha to Honolulu, Hawaii;

Des Moines, Iowa, so peaceful to me ;

Going to Springfield, Illinois, to build a little house on a prairie.

In Little Rock, Arkansas, I love what I saw;

Going back to Dover, Delaware;

‘Cause I want more Indianapolis, Indiana;

And Hartford, Connecticut, need an encore

Smelling pine trees in Augusta, Main;

I like Topeka, Kansas;

I’m glad that I can

But I’ve never been to Salt Lake City, in the Utah or Richmond, Virginia;

Going to see Bismarck, North Dakota,

And Charleston, West Virginia;

Yeah, Annapolis, Maryland, maybe Lansing, Michigan;

Yeah,  Helena, Montana;

Columbia, South Carolina;

Got to go to Pierre, South Dakota;

Yeah, follow, if wanna;

I’ll be eating a banana in Baton Rouge, Louisiana;

Schedule that for my planner.

Friends say I gotta come sooner to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma;

So, I guess I’m gonna…

But, first, I’m going to Cheyenne, Wyoming;

Then, party in Raleigh, North Carolina;

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania;

Can’t think of a rhyme for Pennsylvania.                      

So, I’m skipping to Salem, Oregon, then Austin, Texas;

And then, maybe Albany, New York for breakfast;

Providence, Rhode Island, was a blast, and Olympia, Washington, was just the “best-est”!

I want … to take a little trip somewhere.

Places...I’ve never been, yeah!

Going on a tour …without a care.

I want…to take a little trip somewhere, yeah!

Places…I’ve never been, yeah!

Going…on a tour….tour…tour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfckeGW5CUg&list=RDgfckeGW5CUg&start_radio=1

Singapore

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi6r3hZe5Tg

We will be watching the above video in class.

8B

10 Pull Factors for your City or Country

1. Countries are tolerant to refugees based on a criteria.
2. Immigration laws rank applicants according to education, skills, languages spoken and wealth or investment opportunities.
3. Educational opportunities attract people.
4. Job and career factors are a big reason.
5. A stable, sustainable, and diverse economy with a strong currency attracts investors and people.
6. Adequate health care and infrastructure are extremely important.
7. Political stability, democracy, inclusion and respect for people acts as a magnet for people.
8. There needs to be a practice of and a history for respecting human rights where minorities are not persecuted or excluded.
9. There could be an established ethnic community where  there are  family members. Diversity is respected.
10.  There are few natural disasters and the weather or climate is not too extreme.

8C will have a friendly quiz on South American countries, their map on Central America and the Caribbean must be colored; they must have their notes written about the ten factors that influence settlements.

15 Factors that affect Settlements

1.   climatic factors (W.O.W.L.A.M.A. or wind patterns, ocean currents, water bodies or bodies of water,  latitude, altitude, mountain barriers or windward or leeward sides, and air masses) 

2.   physical processes or seismic activities i.e earthquakes and tsunamis

3.   climate change
4.   drought

5.   volcanic activity

6.   desertification

7.   sporadic rainfalls

8.   landslides 

9.   warming temperatures

10. changing precipitation patterns

11. extreme storms

12. rising sea levels

13.  coastal erosion 

14. coastal flooding 
15. pandemic or spread of diseases 

*zombie apocalypse  (This is only featured in science fiction or horror movies.) 

Grade 8: Settlements and the Environment

The Environmental Factors involved in Settlements

climate- the average weather of an area over a long period of time

physical process- any naturally occurring change on or in Earth, such as an Earthquake

climate change- changes in long-term weather patterns caused by natural events and human activity

Severe drought occurred in the Amazon basin in the year 2005.  This happened again 5 years later.  The loss of tree canopy and trees led to trees not growing back in some areas.  The effects include the following: stranded boats, failed crops, extended pipelines to irrigate crops, and a migration away from farmlands.  These factors affect settlements.

volcanic activity- the Ring of Fire outlines where the Pacific plate meets with plates from Asia to Australia and from North to South America

Why do people settle near volcanoes? There are mineral deposits such as gold, silver, and copper in these areas. Therefore, mining communities exist.  The volcanic ash too is ideal for farming.  Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines has ideal soil for growing crops such as papaya.  Most importantly, these areas are known for geothermal energy.  Countries, such as Iceland, can harness this energy.  Above all, active volcanic areas become tourist destinations such Ecuador.

Which is more catastrophic, an earthquake or a tsunami?

In 2011, a tsunami hit northeastern Japan and cased the evacuation of 1/3 of a million people and the deaths of nearly 20 000 people.  An earthquake in Haiti the year before led to the deaths of approximately 300 000 people.  The seismic waves released from the epicenter of an earthquake, where two plates meet and release great levels of energy.  The energy is transmitted through the water and the wave is amplified once it hits the continental shelf and spills deep into the interior of the mainland.  Earthquakes send shock waves that lift, shake or liquefy soil.  After shocks, falling debris, and survival in a modern society that has seized to exist usually results in a tremendous loss of life.  For both, the level of population density determines the number of causalities.  Nations that can afford to rebuild attempt to build more flexible structures while other nations rely on assistance.  In many cases, segments of the population are permanently displaced.

desertification- the unplanned process of turning arable land into a desert because of factors such as reduced rainfall and poorly-thought-out agricultural policies; lands become deserts

drylands- are areas with a long growing season with very light precipitation levels, such as semi-desert scrub and grasslands

Nearly 2/5^th of the Earth surface is too dry to grow substantial crops

China has attempted to build a ‘Great Green Wall’ by planting shrubs, grasses and trees along the Taklmakan and Gobi deserts to attempt to curtail desertification.  Dust storms or seasons when dust storms are common reduce visibility and damage equipment and buildings. Mineral deposits or fine nutrients can be carried by winds from the Sahara Desert in North Africa to the rainforests of Central America.  This is perhaps the only benefit.

Landslides can be causes by heavy rains, melting snow, and earthquakes.  Deforestation or logging too many trees can kill roots and leave the barren mountainside vulnerable to erosion and future landslides.  Mining operations too can trigger landslides as well as earthquakes.  Ideally, settlements should be built far from possible landslides and planting trees, shrubs and grasses can help reduce soil erosion and even mudslides.  In 2014, over 150 deaths were attributed to a landslide in Nepal.

Warming Temperatures

There are pros and cons to the Earth’s temperature rising:

There are some pros: there will likely be extended growing seasons in areas that are 30 to 60 degrees’ latitude; new settlements may occur farther north in Canada, Europe and Russia; transportation may increase once ice melts; and new employment opportunities may develop.

There are definitely cons: invasive species may migrate; desertification will increase; jobs may disappear if new job opportunities move elsewhere; coastal regions become submerged underwater; animals will have difficulty adapting and the number of species will continue to decrease if the change is not gradual. Even industries, such as skiing, may have to diversify to other recreational activities or simply go out-of-business.

Changing Precipitation Patterns

This too is double edged sword.  Less precipitation leads to drought and crop devastation.  More precipitation may help other regions, but too much may result in floods, increased soil erosion, and crop failure.  Too much rain increases the water content of fruits, such as grapes.  Therefore, wine regions could be affected in terms of quality of wines and job opportunities may diminish.

Extreme Storms

After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, New Orleans was destroyed in many parts. Its flood plain is located beneath sea level; many homes had to rebuilt once the levees broke.  The strongest hurricane, Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines in 2013 with winds over 300 km/h.  Hurricane prevention such as increasing the size of mangrove forests to act as buffer zones is one option. Rather than claiming more land for  settlements, homes must be relocated or built on stilts to prevent future loss of properties.  Early warning systems must be improved.  Extreme storms may simply make certain coastal region uninhabitable or sustainable in the future.

Rising Sea Levels

Global sea levels have continued to rise since 1994 at over 3 mm each year.  Ocean ice and glaciers continue to melt, including the ice cap in Antarctica.  This leads to increased flooding of port lands, business districts and residential areas.  Nearly 1 billion people live along coastlines at that are merely 10 meters above sea level.  Islands in the South Pacific will eventually disappear if rising levels continue. 

Land reclamation efforts create new land in coastal areas.  Nearly ¼ of Hong Kong’s population lives on reclaimed land.  An airport off the coast, which is continually sinking as it settles since the land was not compacted, was built by levelling the tops of a mountain range.  These areas, especially the Netherlands, are at high risk.  Property will become worthless and massive tides of population will need to be re-located.  These people will become the environmental refugees of the 21^st century.

Coastal erosion occurs when there is a gradual or rapid wearing away of the coastline from wind, water and time.  Engineers have created sea walls to slow down the process of erosion but the cost is quite great. 

Coastal flooding often deposit pollutants, such as salt, which make the soil infertile.  Flooding from rivers deposit natural nutrients found in silt along the river banks, but the levees prevent this natural process in order to protect settlements.  The soil is not replenished and artificial fertilizers are used to add more nitrogen to the soil.  The soil depletes in its depth and eventually it becomes infertile.  Coastal flooding may encourage the planting of salt-resistant strains of rice.  Fields may be flooded again to replenish sediments.  Some farmers have begun to farm catfish, shrimp, and crabs.   In efforts to adapt, areas such have Bangladesh, have introduced floating homes, hospitals, and libraries.  These efforts are ingenious but temporary adaptations to a changing environment.