Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Geography - Africa Country Report

African Informational Country Report
You have the choice of selecting any country in Africa to research.  You have access to various resources to aid you in your research.  Listed below are websites which will be useful for your research.  You are also welcome to use your text book or any texts that you may find in the library as well. It is recommended that you find a printed source to use.
You will also be completing a rough draft (20 pts) that will be submitted on 9/24. For your rough draft it is expected that you have your rough draft handout completed for use as a reference for your work. You will also need to submit a hard copy of your final work (80 pts) on the due date of 9/30. 
You will be typing an informational essay for this project.  The length of your report should be between 3 and six pages as you will be including information on the various topics for your self-chosen country. 
Topics that will need to be addressed include:
·         History of your country (ex. early history, colonial era, modern era, major events etc.)
·         Geography of your country (ex. location, land, climate, etc.)
·         Culture of the country (ex. government, culture, religion, education, population, etc.)
·         Economy of the country (ex. natural resources, agriculture, technology, transportation, standard of living, etc.). 
Project Timeline
Wednesday 9/17
Library
Project Intro
Thursday 9/18
Computer Lab
Workday
Wednesday 9/24
Computer Lab
Rough Draft Due & Workday
Thursday 9/25
Computer Lab
Workday
Tuesday 9/30

Paper Due

Online Resources:
·         Country Studies - http://countrystudies.us/
·         Fact Monster - http://www.factmonster.com/countries.html
·         World Bank - http://www.worldbank.org/en/country
·         US Dept. of State - http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/
·         National Geographic - http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/
·         World Health Organization - http://www.who.int/countries/en/
·         GeoHive Facts - http://www.geohive.com/
Geographical Informational Report
Category
25
30
35
37
40
Ideas
Dull story, doesn’t capture reader’s interest.
Report does not each clearly or effectively.
Missing many elements.
Shows very little insight or thought.

Somewhat interesting story.
Too much of the information is paraphrased.
Some points need more elaboration.
Shows little insight or thought.

Interesting story—holds reader’s attention; has drama and/or clever insight.
Report teaches about the topic clearly and accurately.
No missing elements.
Points are elaborated in detail.
Very engaging and insightful.

12
15
17
19
20
Organization
Ineffective intro
Paragraphing doesn’t follow logical structure or even not present
Rare or ineffective use of transitions
Weak or absent conclusion

Adequate intro; somewhat effective hook
Paragraphing is mostly logical; sequence of info could be more effective
Uses some effective transitions, could use more
Adequate conclusion, attempts to wrap up

Very interesting intro to hook reader
Logical paragraphing and sequence of information; if flashbacks are used, they are clear and effective
Very effective use of transitional devices; writing flows smoothly
Good conclusion; essay doesn’t just end abruptly

6
7
8
9
10
Word Choice
Poor word choice – incorrect at times, imprecise at others.
Word choice is very ordinary, even inappropriate at times.

Adequate word choice, but some could be more precise.

Precise and correct word choice – uses appropriate geographical terminology relevant to the information.
Words are specific and accurate.

6
7
8
9
10
Conventions
Many errors in capitalization, spelling, punctuation, and/or usage.

Moderate number of errors in capitalization, spelling, punctuation, or usage.

No errors or very few errors in capitalization, spelling, punctuation, and/or usage.
TOTAL






You will also need to cite the resources that you have used for your report using MLA format.  The website http://www.easybib.com/ is a great tool to help you do this.  You will add your citations on a separate paper and it will be the last page of your report. Please title the page, “Works Cited”.
I.                   Introduction
II.                History
A.    Early History
·        How did you country become a country?  Who discovered it?  Who lived there?
B.     Colonial Era (1490-1960)
·        Was it a colony of another nation or was it a colonial power?
C.     Modern Era 1900-Today
·        Present day difficulties or gains
D.    Major Events
·        Were there any wars or important events that took place?
III.             Geography
A.    Location   
·        Latitude & Longitude; Borders (Other countries &/or landforms)
B.     Land
·        What are the geographic features of your country? (important rivers, lakes, oceans, mountain ranges, and other features)
C.     Climate
·        What Climate Zone is your country located in?  Are there multiple climate zones?; What is your typical weather throughout the year?; Temperature: Range and Average; Precipitation: Rain and Snow (amounts)
IV.             Culture
A.    Government
·        Form of Government ; Head of government; Legislative Body/ies ; Judicial
B.     People
·        What are the main holidays in your country?; What are some popular foods in your country? ; What do people dress like in your country?
C.     Religion
D.    Education
·        Private/Public, required ages
E.     Population and distribution
·        Total population; Ethnicities ; What languages are spoken in your country?; Life expectancy rate
V.                Economy
A.    Natural resources
·        Ex. Forestry, Coal, Oil, etc.
B.     Agriculture
·        Crops; Livestock
C.     Technology
·        Ex. TV, Radios, Internet, Cellphones
D.    Transportation
·        Ex. Waterways, ports, airports, etc.
E.     Standard of Living
·        GDP; Exports &  Imports; Level of wealth vs. poverty
F.      Tourism
·        What is the tourism like in your country? What are the main points of interest?
VI.              Conclusion

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