Geography 222 World Regional Geography Spring 2005
Section 001: TR 12:30-1:50
Current Events Project
One quarter of your grade will be based on a semester-long project that relates
concepts covered in class to a topic of your choosing.
Topics
Topics must center on an issue that involves at least two different world regions.
Choose your topic by finding a recent newspaper or magazine article dealing with
an issue that interests you and takes place in at least one of the world regions
defined in the textbook. If only one region is mentioned in the article, you must be
able to relate the issue to another world region. You must also be able to relate the
issue to one or more geography topics that are/will be covered in class and/or in
your textbook.
Relevant concepts include (but aren't limited to): population patterns, migration,
refugee issues, cultural differences, environmental impacts of cultural
attitudes/differences, influences of territorial boundaries on identity, interaction,
and exchange, consequences of colonialism, consequences of political/economic
integration/supranationalism or fragmentation, agricultural systems, land use,
environmental impacts of agriculture, processes and consequences of
industrialization, globalization, economic development, gender roles, industrial
location, environmental impacts of industrialization, urbanization, trade patterns,
resource use, resource distribution, effects of natural hazards, settlement patterns,
effects of human-induced changes to the environment.
Examples:
• "The Asian century will remap the world" Philadelphia Inquirer, 1/23/05, D3 -
discusses the increasing influences of Asian nations on globalization and
implications for the United States.
• "Tsunami area wants tourists to come back" Philadelphia Inquirer, 1/23/05,
N1, N7 - effects of largest natural disaster in history on tourism industry
• "U.S. base in Cuba gets wind power" Philadelphia Inquirer, 1/23/05, A15 -
implications of converting to a renewable energy source
• "A hajj ritual goes on after steps for safety" Philadelphia Inquirer, 1/21/05,
A12 - how religious traditions are celebrated in different regions
• "Technology Research Lab in Europe Prepares to Close" New York Times,
1/18/05, C2 - collapse of a joint venture between Massachusetts Institute of
Technology and the Irish government
• "Tsunami seawater fatal to crops" Philadelphia Inquirer, 1/24/05, A3 - impact
of natural disaster on ecosystem and agriculture
• "Listening for Atom Blasts, But Hearing Earthquakes" New York Times,
1/18/05, F1, F4 - global monitoring network for seismic activity has
applications related to both natural hazards and nuclear testing
