Chapter 4 Homework

Chapter 4, Section 2

1. What factors define a culture?
Answer:

Factors that define a culture are language, religion, social groups, government, economy, and their region

2. What developments have affected interaction between cultures in recent years?

Answer:

In recent years, the development of more modern technology and computers has affected interaction between cultures.  Computers make it possible to store and look up lots of information and send it anywhere, letting people of other cultures observe and learn about cultures different from their own

Creative Writing: Imagine what your daily life would be like if the information revolution had not occurred, and there were no personal computers, information storage devices, or Internet. Write a paragraph describing what your day would be like, from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep.

Answer:

When I get up in the morning, I'll probably get ready just like I normally do.  My parents would watch the news, but it would all be local news because nothing else can get to the stations fast enough.  When I get to school, I have to look through several text books and research books to find answers.  Later, at home, I'd have to scan through each and every page of a book to find an answer, or try to guess what something means because that is the only way I can 'Look things up.'  If I was curious about something I read, I'd have to go to the library and read through various books to find little snippets of information.  Most of the time, I wouldn't be able to find everything I would need and would leave the library with more questions than answers.

Chapter 4, Section 3

1. What are the differences between the major types of national government in the world today?

Answer:

Some of the differences between major types of national government is who rules and how important the citizens are in the government. 

In an autocracy, the ruler is an individual who receive their position through inheritance or forceful use of military power.  The people have absolutely no voice in this type of government

The second kind of government is an oligarchy.  The leaders of this government are a small group of people who get their power from wealth, military power, social position, or religion.  Some examples can be the Chinese government or the leaders of the Communist party.  The people have a little voice in the government sometimes.  The people will elect others for government positions, but in the end all the power still lies within the leading group.

The third kind of government is a democracy.  Strangely enough, here the people rule the rulers.  The people have a lot of say in what goes on in their country.  The people elect representatives to speak for them and then vote on what laws and propositions they want passed.

2. Give examples of the major types of economic systems in the world.
Answer:

Some major types of economies are Traditional economies, market economies, and command economies.  Traditional economies and governed by the traditions and customs of the people's ancestors.  Market economies, such as free enterprise or capitalism, say that individuals and private groups should make their own decisions about what they are to produce.  The shoppers will choose what to buy, and the businesses will make more of what the shoppers want.  The last major economy is a command economy.  This means that the government tells everyone what they are to do, make, purchase, and sell.  The citizens are taxed, but they never know where their money goes

Creative Writing: You live within a democratic government system and a market economy. Write a paragraph explaining some of the advantages to you under this government and economic system, as well as the some of the disadvantages.

Answer:
Some advantages to this are that I get to vote on who I want in charge, what laws I want passed, and who I want to represent me and my state.  I also get to purchase whatever I want from wherever I want without limit except for how much money I have.  I'll also be able to make and sell whatever I want.  Some disadvantages would be that everyone else has the same rights.  If I want one thing, and the majority wants another thing, then I'll lose in the vote and what I want to happen will probably not happen.  Another disadvantage is that the company that makes my favorite things might decide not to manufacture that product anymore because it isn't popular among the general public

Chapter 4, Section 4

1. What is a major factor in determining a country’s economic development and trade relationships?

Answer:

A major factor of how a country's economy develops and how it trades with other countries is what resources are available to the country and how they use them

2. How do human economic activities affect the environment?

Human economies can hurt the environment.  For example, a country might rely on lumber and paper production for most of it's economy.  To get lumber and paper, the country will have to chop down whole sections of forests that can never be replaced.  A country that relies on oil can mine the earth until there simply are no fossil fuels left to feed it's economy.

Creative Writing: Write a paragraph agreeing or disagreeing with the statement: “Only developed countries need to replace their dependence on fossil fuels with the use of renewable energy resources.” Explain your reasoning.

I think that all countries need to replace their dependence on fossil fuels with the use of renewable energy resources.  Not only will it be cheaper for all the countries, but it'll be easier.  What's easier: Trekking it to the nearest city (which could be miles away) for a gallon of gas that won't last long, or just having a solar panel that can generate electricity and energy for all your needs in a blink of an eye?  If all countries would stop using fossil fuels, it would also decrease the amount of pollution in the atmosphere and humans might actually have a shot of helping our planet recuperate from the abuse we have dealt to her.

Chapter 3 Homework

Chapter 3, Section 1

1. How does Earth’s position in relation to the sun affect temperatures on Earth?

Answer:

Because the Earth is tilted slightly on it's side, not all surfaces of the Earth receive the same amount of sun.  The parts that experience more sunlight and hotter than places that don't.

2. How might global warming affect Earth’s air, land, and water?

Answer:

Global warming causes a rise in CO2 levels and temperatures.  This causes the weather patterns to be more extreme, the soil dehydrating faster, and the water from the oceans and seas will evaporate faster.

Creative Writing:  “Global warming is a natural process and there is nothing we can do to affect the severity or effects of global warming on the environment.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Write a paragraph explaining your reasoning.

Answer:

I disagree with this statement.  We can do things to limit the CO2 in the atmosphere, and kind of stop global warming, or at least slow it.  If humans would stop creating so much pollution and carbon waste, stop cutting down forests and using up so much oil, and start recycling what we already have, then we could decrease how much waste we're dumping into our atmosphere, which includes CO2. 

Chapter 3, Section 2

1. How do latitude and elevation affect climate?

Answer:

Latitude can majorly affect the climate of an area.  Low Latitude areas usually receive direct rays of light and have warm to hot climates, whereas high latitudes receiver indirect sunlight that barely heats up the land.  Elevation can also affect the climate.  The higher a certain area is, the less atmosphere there is to retain heat, thus making the climate colder.  Likewise, the lower a certain area is, the more atmosphere retains heat and the hotter the area is.

 

2. What role do wind patterns, ocean currents, and landforms play in Earth’s climates?

Answer:

Wind patterns blow warm winds at lower latitudes and colder winds at higher altitudes.  The ocean currents affect the climate of the land with their temperatures.  Cold ocean currents cool lands when the pass, but warm currents bring warmer temperatures.  When the winds and the currents come together and heat up, the water in the oceans turns into clouds.  When both cool down, it causes rain to fall. 

Once in a while of pressure of the atmosphere drops and cit causes the precipitation to increase along the coasts, increasing risks of floods and changing the climates all over the world.

Land forms can also affect the climate.  Large bodies of water cool down coastal areas and protect them from much climate change.  Big mountains cause air to cool and lose their precipitation on the mountain.  This makes the air hot and dry which causes the dry deserts and valleys on the other sides of the mountains.

Creative Writing: The North Atlantic Current, which warms the shore of western Europe as much as 10˚C in some places, came to a halt for ten days in November of 2004. Researchers are unsure of the cause of the shutdown. What might be some of the consequences for the European climate if the current weakened or shut down permanently?

Answers:

If the current stopped completely, it would be disastrous to the climate.  The currents would no longer bring in cool water or cooler winds, and the coastal areas would experience more change in their weather than they are used to.  The mountain areas would receive less perticipation, killing some fragile wildlife there and damaging economies.  Even the deserts would suffer, receiving even less water than they did before.

Chapter 3, Section 3

1. How do geographers classify the climate regions of the world?

Answer:

Geographers classify the climate regions as tropical, dry, mid latitude, high latitude, and highland based on their soil, vegetation, and temperatures

2. How do recurring phenomena influence climate patterns over time?

Answer:

Recurring phenomena such as volcano eruptions and ice ages can alter the climate drastically.  Volcano eruptions can create dust clouds that reflect sunlight back into space, cooling the atmosphere.  Ice ages can also affect an area.  They carve out valleys and seas, and provide water where there once were dry places.  The water created can cool down an area, or the lower elevations can make the climate warmer. 

Creative Writing: Describe the climate region where you live, including its characteristic soils and natural vegetation. Remember that natural vegetation is the plant life growing where the natural environment is unchanged by human activity

Answer:

Huntington Beach's climate is mild.  The city is built by the beach which cools the land down with frequent ocean currents and  cool wind blown in.  The elevation is near sea level, which means that Huntington Beach has a lot of insulation of heat.  The soil is naturally filled with nutrients since Huntington Beach used to be a swamp where sediment and minerals would stop by before being deposited into the sea.  Unfortunately, since humans have settled down here, the soil where it used to be swamps is now littered with human waste and garbage.  The natural vegetation are ferns, wild grasses, and shrubs.  Everything else you see in Huntington Beach are either alien plants (i.e. clover, daisies) that have attack the natural foliage, or garden plants such as which are planted by house owners.

Chapter 2, Sections 1 and 2 Homework

Chapter 2 Section 1

1. Describe the different surfaces and geographical areas found on Earth.

Answer:
The main different surfaces of earth are land, water, and air.  Land is made of continents, islands, and the land beneath the oceans called ocean basins.  Water makes up 70 percent of the planet's surface and consists of oceans, lakes, rivers, and any other bodies of water.  Air is the last surface.  It's called the atmosphere and extends from the planet's surface.  Air is made up of 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, and one percent other gases.

2. What point on Earth is the greatest distance from sea level?

Answer:

The greatest distance above sea level is Mount Everest.

Creative Writing: Agree or disagree with the statement: When small objects in space, such as meteoroids and comets, enter Earth’s atmosphere, they have no long-term effect on Earth’s lithosphere, atmosphere, or biosphere. Justify your conclusion.

Answer: 

I think that meteoroid and comet landings do have long term affects in the lithosphere, atmosphere, and the biosphere.  If the meteoroid or comet is big enough, they'll leave a dent in the lithosphere forever.  Trees and animals may live in that crater, but the crater will always be there.  I think that comets and meteoroids may affect the atmosphere too.  When the go through the atmosphere the catch fire because of friction with our atmosphere.  If the falling object suffers from the friction, why shouldn't our atmosphere?  The landings of the comets and meteoroids can also affect the biosphere for the worse.  If it were big enough, it could annihilate a whole species in a certain area, or damage the environment they live in.

Chapter 2, Section 2

1. How do Earth’s layers contribute to the planet’s physical characteristics?

Answer:

The mantle, or the second layer of the earth, affect the planet's characteristics a whole lot.  The mantle oozes out currents of very hot rock below the crush, causing the plates to move around slowly.  Sometimes whole continents collide with one another, creating huge mountains and valleys.  The mantle also bursts magma through the cracks at the bottom of the ocean, gradually forming underwater mountains that emerge as islands.  One these islands, and even on continents, magma will continue to flow periodically, causing a volcanic eruption and shaping the surface even more by adding more rock and fertile soil for new plants.

2. How do internal forces of change affect Earth’s surface differently from external forces of change?

Answer:
Internal forces of change usually just change the earth and create mountains, volcanoes, and new features.  The external forces weather away at the surface, destroying rather than creating.

Creative Writing: Describe how internal forces may have changed the surface of what is now North America over the past 225 million years.

Answer:

Over time the mantle's flow has moved the plates under North America around, shifting and shaping it into the way it is formed today.  Multiple collisions with other continents and islands have bunched up the land, forming it into mountains and valleys.  Earthquakes throughout the continent have pushed land masses around and snap pieces of land apart.  Volcanic eruptions have dotted the surface of North America, providing more soil and rebirth of plants and nature.

Chapter 1 Homework

Chapter 1, Section 1

1.  What are at least two of the concerns cartographers have when they select a map projection?  Explain your reasoning.
Answer:
Two things that cartographers must think of when they make maps are the size of the area they are mapping and what the map will be used for.  If it's a bigger area of land, the cartographer knows that it will be more distorted than it would be if it were a small area of land.  If the map is used to navigate then it should be as accurate as possible to avoid pople getting confused or lost.
2.  Identify two physical features, two human-made features, and two political features that could be shown on a typical urban-area map.
Answer:
Two physical features on a map would be bodies of water, such as rivers and lakes, and mountains.  Two human-made features would be roads and cities.  Two political features would be coutry boundaries and state borders.

Creative Writing:  Imagine that you are a city planner in a fast growing urban area, and you are using a GIS to create a map to help choose locations for new elementary schools.  What types of information would be useful?  Write a paragraph about the features to be shown on the map.
Anwer:
If I were a city planner trying to map a location for a new elementary school on a GIS  I would look for four things: Location, population, roads, and other schools.  The location of the school, or at least the desired one, would be important because it's the first thing to enter in the GIS in order to analyze the surroundings.  The population would also be important because we need to see how many people could possibly have children that they would enroll in the school.  Roads is very important...we wouldn't want to build a school in the middle of the street or have a part of a building plan incompleted because there's a street in the way, now would we?  The last important factor is other schools.  If there are many other elementary schools around the new school, the school might not have as many children enroll.  However, if there is a nearby nursery or preschool, parents and teachers will note the building and might enroll their kids in the new school.
Chapter 1 Section 2

1.  What are the major branches of geography, and what topics does each branch study?
Answer:
There are two main branches of geography are physical and human geography.  Physical geography tells us about climate, land, bodies of water, native plants and animals, and their relationships with one another as well as their relationships with humans.  Human geography studies political borders, economy, population growth, city development, and the import and export of goods.
2.  How is geography used?
Answer:
Geography is used to help people navigate.  When I say navigate, I don't mean just direction, or just their place in a big city.  I mean how to navigate the businesses around them, the people, the climate, how to change their lives or surroundings to create harmony in their enviorment,

Creative Writing:  Consider the place where you live.  Write a paragraph describing its site, situation, and a type of region in which it belongs.  Include examples of how the movement of people has affected its culture and how human enviorment interaction has changed the enviorment.
Answer:
Huntington Beach is located near the coast line of Southern California.  The  location used to be a marshland, but since many people moved here and set up businesses all the marshes are gone, replaced with sidewalk and streets and buildings.  Lot's of different people live in Huntington Beach, but the population is mostly Caucasian or Asian.  The weather is mild beach weather with a marine layer in the morning that burns off by noon.  The seasons don't change that much, just with a couple of exceptionally cold weeks or exceptionally hot weeks.