<![CDATA[Cape Cod Home Learners - Geography]]>Thu, 04 Jul 2024 02:12:53 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Geograpahy 2015-16]]>Fri, 21 Aug 2015 17:38:34 GMThttp://www.capecodhomelearners.com/geography/geograpahy-2015-16Who wants to study geography this year?

This year marks a new beginning for our geography class.  

Our class for 2015-16 will start fresh!  We are hoping for some new faces to join us for a year of geography fun!

If you have a student interested in studying world geography let us know.  We welcome students ages 11-17 to form a new geography class for 2015/16.

All classes will meet in Sagamore Beach.  The cost per class is $10/family.  Our goal is meet 2 times per month.

Geography Goals 2015/2016

This year World Geography will start with a brief review of concepts from our study last year:

longitude/latitude, relative location, hemispheres, tropics, and international date/time.   Continuing students will refer to their own detailed political and geographical maps. New Students, who are joining the group will be mentored by returning students in the art of map making.  Geographic vocabulary terms along with political topics will be covered.  

The goal of our mapping program this year is to cover the following regions:  Northern Asia, Southern Asia, Australia, & Pacific.  Emphasis will be placed on understanding regional cultures, religions, climate, geographic features, and economics with respect to how they shape individual people and nations.

If you would like to join our group please use the contact sheet below.  


]]><![CDATA[A Little Hike up Sagamore Hill]]>Tue, 02 Dec 2014 15:25:09 GMThttp://www.capecodhomelearners.com/geography/a-little-hike-up-sagamore-hillMinus the ticks, an awesome local hike on a balmy December 1st!!
]]><![CDATA[Where in the World Are We? And other such geographical things…]]>Wed, 22 Oct 2014 16:34:31 GMThttp://www.capecodhomelearners.com/geography/where-in-the-world-are-we-and-other-such-geographical-thingsLast week I introduced a simple geography assignment: Indicate the border between Europe and Asia.  To my students’ surprise this task proved much more difficult then it first appeared.

You see much has changed in geography education since John Harvard donated his library (400 books) and half his estate to First College in American Colonies, and Harvard, as it was renamed in 1638, went on to become the education icon of America.  From 1638 to the present, education has grown to encompass about as many degrees of study as you can imagine.  My favorite degree:  Ufology, at Melbourne College offers a doctorate in Ufology (belief in unidentified flying objects and aliens) through their philosophy department. Personally, I think Melbourne College should also offer a degree in Belieberology.  However, as proven by this Utube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nstL61t6Xtk students in Belieberology, would not be able to answer my simple geography question this week.  Nor, I imagine would many other current students in our country.  

When asked about the continents or simple world geographic locations or features most U.S. adults do no better then Bieber.  However, for those geography buffs out there the subject of continents still remains much more controversial then one could ever imagine.  

By convention there are seven continents: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and Antarctica. Some geographers list only six continents, combining Europe and Asia into Eurasia. Furthermore in parts of the world, students learn that there are just five continents: Eurasia, Australia, Africa, Antarctica, and the Americas. Through study we are also taught that "continent" is not just a physical term; it also carries cultural connotations. This is why it’s easy to visualize the differences between North American and Asia.  But Europe and Asia, which are physically part of the same landmass, are considered 2 separate continents.

Confused yet?

Another thing to keep in mind when researching the continents is that Islands located near a continent are generally considered, in a geographical sense, part of that continent. However, Greenland, messes with everyone’s head.  It is politically part of Europe but belongs geographically to North America.  So what continent is it on?  Europe!

To make matters worse, geographically speaking, there are some islands and island groups that are not considered part of any continent. New Zealand, Hawaii, French Polynesia, Oceania (the collective name for the islands of the Pacific Ocean) are among them.    It’s a convenient way to name these islands, which, with the exception of Australia, are not part of any continent. 

But now, back to my original question, can you map the line between Europe and Asia?  I dare you to try.  However, as you search sources, you might stumble upon this gem:  The Marmaray railway tunnel, linking Turkey(Asia) to Istanbul (Thrice/Turkey Europe).  “It is the world's first tunnel connecting two continents.”  Who knew we needed to connect two continents that were already connected.



]]><![CDATA[World Geography Update & The Northwest Passage]]>Mon, 06 Oct 2014 20:07:35 GMThttp://www.capecodhomelearners.com/geography/world-geography-update-the-northwest-passageAs we finished our month long review of the Americas, our class was in a perfect spot to research information about the recent discovery of a British shipwreck in the Canadian Arctic that resolved a 169-year-old maritime mystery that led to the opening of the Northwest Passage linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

For those interested in the topic, our class enjoyed and highly recommends a documentary on PBS Home Video.  The NOVA title, Arctic Passage, dramatizes Sir Franklin’s ill-fated quest to navigate the Northwest Passage along with Norwegian, Roald Amundsen’s triumphant voyage.

I hope you enjoy a sampling of our student’s reports!
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]]><![CDATA[Geography Challenge!]]>Sat, 13 Sep 2014 01:13:22 GMThttp://www.capecodhomelearners.com/geography/geography-challengeSee how you stack up to our geography class!  Grab a blank piece of paper, click the link to download load our list, set your timer to 15 mins.

Are you ready?

Take our geography challenge:  draw North, Central, and South American.  Label the points on the list.

****I recommend that you allow yourself only 5 mins to draw the shape.  Save the rest of your time to label. 

When you finish click on our class drawings!  These were done by kids ages 10-17.  

Our year-end goal is to draw the world?  By heart…..join us in June for the Challenge!

Let us post your drawing……please send us your name, age, and drawing….we will add it to our site.  Send drawings to director@capecodhomelearners.com


]]><![CDATA[Geography Goals 2014/2015]]>Wed, 06 Aug 2014 21:25:50 GMThttp://www.capecodhomelearners.com/geography/geography-goals-20142015World Geography 2 will start with a brief review of concepts from our study last year. Games will be played to refresh the following concepts: longitude/latitude, relative location, hemispheres, tropics, and international date/time.   Students will refer to their detailed political and geographical maps of North, Central, and South America along with the Caribbean Islands.  Geographic vocabulary terms along with political topics will be covered.  The goal of our mapping program this year is to cover 4 regions:  Eastern Europe & Northern Asia, Southern Asia, Australia & Pacific, and Africa.  Emphasis will be placed on understanding regional cultures, religions, climate, geographic features, and economics with respect to how they shape individual people and nations.
]]><![CDATA[First Class September 8, 2014]]>Thu, 05 Jun 2014 02:11:22 GMThttp://www.capecodhomelearners.com/geography/under-construction