The People's Republic of Capitalism

Some questions to consider:

How would you explain the interdependence of the Chinese and American economies?

When you buy something - especially at a big-box retailer - do you read the label to find the country of origin?  Would that influence your purchasing decision?

Some of the experts interviewed see US - Chinese interdependence as a "win-win" situation, because investing brings good returns and outsourcing helps keep some US plants open.  Do you agree or disagree, and why?

BTW, I have posted the video here (and under my links) in case you missed any due to Stemming or being sick, or if you would just like to review your favorite parts.

quiz grades are posted

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Grades have been posted for the last quiz.  62 of you took it, and 42 of you got an A - including 23 perfect scores!  Well done!

Average scores, by section:
Section 1 - 92%
Section 2 - 89%
Section 3 - 93%

Check PowerSchool to see how you did.

essay guidelines and a rubric

Yesterday I posted a description of this assignment.

Here you can find the rubric, and also to the right in my Links sidebar.

Here are some guidelines for writing 500-word essays, which you may find helpful on this and other essay assignments.

Good luck, and be sure to write an excellent paper!

some essay details

As we discussed in class, your essay (worth 200 points) is due at the start of class on Monday.  You are writing about the relationship between the United States and any two of the countries we have been covering in class.  This is not a major research paper per se, but you are expected to do some research, and provide a Works Cited at the end of the essay.   The use of EasyBib (using the MLA format) will help make your bibliography easy to do.  There are a number of excellent websites that will help you in researching these countries and leaders, including the World Factbook, the New York Times, the BBC, and even Al Jazeera (particularly for coverage of news in the Middle East).

I've said it a number of times in class, but it bears repeating: you will hand me a printed copy of this paper at the beginning of Monday's class.  Late penalties apply if you do not do so.  Good luck, and write a great paper!

Paper time

We've identified many of the nations that are very important to the United States.

We discussed the leaders of these countries, and how they came into their leadership roles.

We've traced the origins of these countries, and when they achieved their independence.

We've even located these countries on a map!

Now it's time to pull it all together.  In a 500-word paper that you will turn in at the beginning of class Monday, you will pick two of the nations we have been covering, and discuss their relationship with the United States.  Be sure to discuss the role of their leaders in this relationship.

As we discussed in class, in the interest of fostering collaboration, you have the option of working on this paper solo or with one other person.

Also keep in mind that the last quiz on this Political Geography unit will be given Monday,  Nov. 19.

I will post more specific information soon, including formatting, citations, and a rubric.

Political Geography research

Our next discussion of Political Geography will revolve around the origins of the countries we have been studying.  We will be covering terms such as state, nation, colonialism, imperialism, etc.  To prepare for this, we will be spending some class time researching the early origins of these nations. The CIA Factbook and Wikipedia are good resources.  We will approach our research using these questions:

When did (this country) achieve independence?

What was their history before they became independent?

Were they ever the subjects of another country?

Where can this country be found on a world or regional map?

More details in class.  Examples below.  Feel free to use the examples I have provided as a template for doing your research on Afghanistan, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Iran, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and Venezuela.

United States

Declared independence on July 4, 1776

From the 1500s through the 1700s, they were settled and colonized by the Spanish, British, French, Dutch, Portuguese, and other European nations.  The original thirteen colonies were held by Great Britain until the Revolutionary War, after which they became the first thirteen states.  There are now 50 states in the United States.  The United States is considered the last true superpower, with the world's largest military and the world's largest economy.

Israel

Israel became an independent state on May 14, 1948

Following World War Two, the newly-formed United Nations drafted a treaty dividing up some of Palestine's land.  They established an independent Arab state and an independent Jewish state.  Many Jews emigrated to the new nation of Israel post WWII.  Creation of this new Jewish state was not universally accepted by Arabs, even though Israel was officially admitted to the UN on May 11, 1949.  There is still controversy surrounding Israel's very existence in the Middle East.

China

China's official date of independence is October 1, 1949.

China is one of the world's oldest civilizations.  As long ago as 221 BC, China was unified as a nation during the Qin dynasty.  They formed a republic on January 1, 1912.  The current Communist government, officially called the People's Republic of China, was formed in 1949.  

good conversations

We have had pretty good discussions over the background of our world leaders.  And, I have had some excellent conversations with many of your parents tonight, here at Parent-Teacher conferences.

Two things to keep in mind for tomorrow:  we are on a one-hour late bell, and you never know when the next pop quiz will appear.

election results are in...

...and Barack Obama has been re-elected as President of the United States.

So, as we discussed in class today, find two facts about Obama that relate to his leadership abilities.  Give him the same treatment you gave to the other world leaders we have been studying.  Post these facts to your blog.

learning about the leaders

Tonight's assignment:  take each world leader listed on my Friday blog, and find two important facts about them that have to do with their leadership qualities or style.  The purpose is to learn about their effectiveness as the leaders of these important nations.  These might have to do with their personal background, their education, their professional experience, their belief system, or any other aspects of their lives that you think shaped them as leaders.  This will count as your blog posting for today.

As I said in class, you do not have to research Barack Obama for this assignment tonight.  Late Tuesday night or Wednesday morning we will all find out if he or Mitt Romney will be the POTUS* for the next four years.  Then we will add the last name to the list.

Lastly, it would be a good idea to start looking at a world map with an eye toward identifying the locations of all these countries.

* POTUS = President of the United States

world leaders

"I am President-Elect Enrique Peña Nieto.  Although I won the most recent Mexican national elections, held in July 2012, I will not be sworn in until December 1, just four weeks away."

"I am the king of Saudi Arabia, as well as it's Prime Minister.  I am known as Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud.  I ascended to the throne on August 1, 2005.  I have had 13 wives, and I have fathered at least 35 children.  I am worth about 21 billion dollars."

"I'm Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany since 2005.  Forbes Magazine recently ranked me the fourth most powerful person in the world.  Maybe the fact that I am the de facto leader of the European Union has something to do with that."

"We're Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu, and President Shimon Peres.  We run the nation of Israel, and we have been in power since 2007 and 2009, respectively."  

"I am Hu Jintao.  I am the President of the People's Republic of China, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, and the Chairman of the Central Military Commission of China.  Since I assumed office in 2002, China's steady economic growth has established my country as a major world power."





"I am Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran since 2005.  I worry the United States - and a lot of other countries, especially Israel - because I am actively supporting Iran's nuclear program.  I always claim that we are just building plants for nuclear energy, by many others suspect I am trying to build a nuclear bomb."


"I am Hamad Karzai, and I have been President of Afghanistan since December 7, 2004.  I replaced a regime that had been run by the Taliban.  If you don't think I have a dangerous job, consider that I have survived at least four assassination attempts since taking office."

"I am François Hollande, and on May 6 of this year I won the French presidential election, defeating Nicolas Sarkozy and three other candidates, and I was sworn in nine days later.  I am also the head of the French Socialist party."

"I am Pranab Mukherjee, and I have been President of India since July of this year, when I won my election by trouncing my opponent, winning 70 percent of the vote.  I used to teach a political science course in an Indian college, and I have also written five books."  

"I am Hugo Chavez, I have been President of Venezuela since 1999, I am unashamed to be leading my country in a Socialist direction, and I am one of the most controversial leaders in the world.  I have recently been treated for colon cancer, and although I have declared myself to be cured, some of my opponents claim I said that just to help my re-election campaign."  

"I'm David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since my election in May of 2010.  I am the leader of the Conservative Party, and a graduate of the prestigious Oxford University, with a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics."

"I am Queen Elizabeth II of England.  I have been Queen for over 60 years.  I have been in power for longer than everybody else on this list combined.  Long live the Queen!" 

"I am Dilma Rousseff, President of Brazil.  I am the first woman to ever be elected President of my country, and I have been in office since 2011.  I am also the first economist to be elected President of Brazil."    

"I am Barack Obama, President of the United States, and I approve this blog."