RUSSIA AND NORTHERN EURASIA

OCTOBER 12, 2015

DO NOW… After coming into class and quietly taking your seat, take out your World Geography materials Gather your Go Geography! Records Sheets to be turned in…

TURNING IN GO GEOGRAPHY! RECORDS SHEETS

GO GEOGRAPHY! Topic: Two Russia’s? 1)What do you think some of the possible reasons may be for why we include part of Russia in Europe and part in Asia? 2)What affects do you think this may have on the country economically and culturally?

OUTLINE MAP OF RUSSIA AND NORTHERN EURASIA Instructions for what should go on each map on the last page

CLIMATE AND VEGETATION GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS What are the major Climate Regions for Russia and Northern Eurasia (Page 550 and 551 of Textbook)? Arid, Semiarid, Mediterranean, Humid Continental, Subarctic, Highland, Tundra Use the climate, vegetation, and land use maps of Russia and Northern Eurasia from textbook and Atlases to determine the following Create a chart divided into 4 quadrants: 1)Climate Region 2)Location of Climate Region 3)Type of Natural Vegetation 4)Major Economic Activities

THE GROWTH OF EACH REGION Questions 1)How do you believe the latitude, elevation, and landforms have impacted the climate regions found in Russia and Northern Eurasia? 2)What do you believe has been the impact of climate on the growth rate in each climate region?

CLOSURE

HOMEWORK…

OCTOBER 13, 2015

DO NOW… After coming into class and taking your seat quietly, get out your World Geography materials… Pass back materials in the Pick up Box

PASS BACK/REVIEW QUIZZES

GO GEOGRAPHY! Brief Intro to Russia Video Topic: Climate Regions of Russia and Northern Eurasia 1)How many climate regions are there in Russia and Northern Eurasia? 2)Name as many as you can.

CLIMATE AND VEGETATION GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS What are the major Climate Regions for Russia and Northern Eurasia (Page 550 and 551 of Textbook)? Arid, Semiarid, Mediterranean, Humid Continental, Subarctic, Highland, Tundra Use the climate, vegetation, and land use maps of Russia and Northern Eurasia from textbook and Atlases to determine the following Create a chart divided into 4 quadrants: 1)Climate Region 2)Location of Climate Region (what countries/regions of Russia and Northern Eurasia are included?) 3)Type of Natural Vegetation 4)Major Economic Activities

THE GROWTH OF EACH REGION Questions 1)How do you believe the latitude, elevation, and landforms have impacted the climate regions found in Russia and Northern Eurasia? 2)What do you believe has been the impact of climate on the growth rate in each climate region?

CULTURAL/ETHNIC GROUPS OF RUSSIA The Russia and Northern Eurasia Region is home to over 180 different ethnic groups. The top 7 currently include Russians, Tatars, Ukrainians, Bashkirs, Chuvashs, Chechens, and Armenians Start Conducting research to determine the country these groups reside in, major religions practiced, and the language(s) spoken within each group.

HOMEWORK… Complete researching each of the Ethnic Groups from Russia and Northern Eurasia discussed in class

OCTOBER 15, 2015

DO NOW… After quietly coming into class and taking your seat, get out your World Geography materials… Pass out the materials from the Pick Up Box

EXAMINING ETHNIC GROUPS Major Ethnic Groups of Russia and Northern Eurasia Some from before: Russians, Tatars, Ukrainians Some groups not in Russia: Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Turkmen Each table group gets an Ethnic Group; Each group makes an educational poster Each person has a task: 1)Researcher for country these groups reside in 2)Major religions practiced by the groups 3)The language(s) spoken within each group 4)Numbers before/after the fall of the USSR 5)Designer of the Poster

ETHNIC GROUP GRAPHIC ORGANIZER Complete the graphic organizer by filling out the necessary information On the bottom/back, you should record any major changes in ethnic groups that occurred before and after the fall of the USSR

FALL OF THE USSR VIDEO

TWO-COLUMN CHART: POLITICAL/ETHNIC MAKEUP BEFORE AND AFTER FALL OF THE USSR The fall of the USSR resulted in a major shakeup of the political and cultural makeup of the Russia and Eurasia region… Working in your shoulder pair, create a chart explaining the political state of the region before and after the fall, as well as some of the differences in cultural and ethnic groups before and after the fall of the USSR

RELIGIONS OF RUSSIA AND NORTHERN EURASIA PIE CHART! Religion in the region was also affected by the fall of the USSR. Use the information to create a pie chart illustrating the religious makeup of the Russia and Eurasia Region (aka former Soviet Union)

CLOSURE… How do you believe the diversity or lack of diversity may have caused conflict and/or cooperation in this region? What impact do you believe the fall of the Soviet Union had on the culture of Russia and Northern Eurasia?

HOMEWORK… Finish Classwork

OCTOBER 16, 2015

DO NOW… After quietly coming into class and taking your seat, get out your World Geography materials and turn to your Go Geography!… Take out homework, put in TURN-IN Box…

GO GEOGRAPHY! Topic: Economies after fall of USSR Come up with a prediction of how you believe the economies of Russia and Northern Eurasian countries were affected by the fall of the USSR Did they change for the better? Worse? Explain.

THE ECONOMY OF THE SOVIET UNION The economy of the Soviet Union was based on a system of state ownership of the means of production, collective farming, industrial manufacturing and centralized administrative planning. The Government played a major role in deciding the four economic questions. Then the Soviet Union dissolved. The fall of the Soviet Union occurred on December 25, republics, only one remained in the Soviet Union (Georgia) So how did this affect the economies of Russia and the new Russian states?

ECONOMIES OF THE FORMER SOVIET UNION G.O. Determine the economic conditions of each country before the fall of the Soviet Union as well as the current economic conditions of each country World Factbook Infoplease

IN DEPTH RESEARCH OF FORMER SOVIET UNION COUNTRIES Working with your partner(s), research the following information for your country in the former Soviet Union, record your findings on your paper On the back, write a paragraph explaining whether or not you believe the country’s economy has changed for the better or the worse since the fall of the Soviet Union. Use your notes to support your opinion.

FINISH FOR HOMEWORK In depth Research of Former Soviet Union Countries Working with your partner(s), research the following information for your country in the former Soviet Union, record your findings on your paper On the back, write a paragraph explaining whether or not you believe the country’s economy has changed for the better or the worse since the fall of the Soviet Union. Use your notes to support your opinion.

CLOSURE Consider the economic activities of the countries discussed… How do these activities affect the wealth of a country?

OCTOBER 20, 2015

DO NOW… After coming into class and quietly taking your seat, take out your World Geography materials and turn to your Go Geography! Place your homework in the Turn In Box Pass back materials in the Pick Up Box

ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE PAPERS PASSED BACK?

GO GEOGRAPHY! Topic: Rise and Fall of USSR Video As you are watching the video, record any key terms, years, or people you believe played a major role in the rise and fall of the USSR.

RISE AND FALL OF THE SOVIET UNION: DISCUSSION TOPICS Each group will get a topic, use your textbook and secondary materials to research the topic at hand. Topics: 1)the formation of the Soviet Union, 2)economic policies, 3)important leaders, 4)culture, 5)role in the Cold War, 6)fall of the Soviet Union It is your job as a group to determine the main details that are necessary to explain the who, what, when, why, and/or how of each of these topics

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Look over the questions being asked, determine which of these questions your group could answer in their entirety or even partially. Answer what you can.

DISCUSSION TOPICS: YOU BE THE TEACHER Each group will have time to walk around the class and teach your topic to one or two groups depending on how quickly you can teach As the “teacher,” it is your responsibility to make sure each group knows what they need to about your topic.

GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS After learning about the rise and fall of the Soviet Union, work with your group members to answer the following questions: How did the formation of the Soviet Union impact the culture and relationships among ethnic groups in the region? How did human characteristics within the former Soviet Union influence the fall of the Soviet Union? What impact did the fall of the Soviet Union have on culture and relationships among groups in Russia and Northern Eurasia?

RISE AND FALL OF THE SOVIET UNION: TEST QUESTIONS Each group needs to come up with 4 questions about the Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union that you believe you could see on a test (5 questions for my groups with 5 people)… Questions need to be recorded on one sheet – questions on one side, answer key on the other side

HOMEWORK… Finish Classwork

OCTOBER 21, 2015

DO NOW! After coming into class and taking your seat quietly, take out your World Geography materials and turn to the Go Geography! for today.

TEST ON RUSSIA AND NORTHERN EURASIA… Review Day on Friday… Test Day on Monday…

GO GEOGRAPHY! Topic: Lake Ponchartrain! 1)If the state of Louisiana started to divert some of the tributaries feeding into Lake Ponchartrain, how long do you think it may take for the lake to shrink into separate bodies of water or even disappear? 2)Imagine if Lake Ponchartrain were 40 times its current size … How long do you think it would take then for the lake to separate or disappear? 3)What other natural or human actions might cause a body of water, such as the ones described above, to separate or even disappear? 4)What effect do you believe the disappearance of such a body of water might have on an area?

INTRODUCTION TO THE ARAL SEA Video…Respond to the following questions while you watch the video… 1)How has the Aral Sea changed over the recent decades? 2)What adverse effects have occurred because of the shrinking of the Aral Sea? 3)What is being done to combat the adverse effects of the shrinking of the Aral Sea? Video link:

“THE SHRINKING ARAL SEA” Working in your table groups… As you read the article, look for the following information: Determine how human populations were/are affected by the Aral Sea in the past and present. Examine how government interventions or lack of interventions affect the Aral Sea region. By analyzing the maps and pictures of the Aral Sea, what do you think may be the effects on humans in the area of the Aral Sea ? (e.g., land formation, water availability, crops and migration)

SPAWN WRITING PROMPTS Respond to 3 of the following prompts below regarding the shrinking of the Aral Sea: Special Powers- If you had the power to change the Soviet Union’s water diversion project, what would you create? Explain why. Problem Solving- Now that the water diversion project has been completed, what can the government do to help improve the quality of life in the Aral Sea region? Alternative Viewpoint- Imagine you live in a region that benefits from a water diversion project in the Aral Sea region. Explain why the water diversion project should not be reversed to help those devastated by the shrinking Aral Sea. What If?- What might have happened if the water was never diverted from the Aral Sea? Next- How do you think the countries in the region will provide help to those impacted by the disappearance of the Aral Sea?

SHARING YOUR SPAWN ANSWERS… Find another person that responded to at least one of the following SPAWN prompts that you responded to as well. What were some of the similarities/differences in your answers. Use your partner’s information to add to your SPAWN prompt(s) and improve upon your answers Would anyone like to share their answer?

WRITING TEST/QUIZ QUESTIONS… Each person write an assessment question from the information we discussed today in class. Instructions for what to do next will follow…

HOMEWORK Start reviewing Russia and Northern Eurasia materials