Essay Day

Today we wrote our essay for exam. I feel confident about my essay. I finished with around two minutes left. I am extremely happy and thankful that we were allowed to bring in note cards for the essay. If we were not allowed to bring those in I would have been stressing out a lot more. With the note card I was able to ensure I had all the information and points I wanted to bring up before turning it in. I am also glad to have gotten a portion of the exam over with. Getting that finished lets me have more time on the actual exam without having to stress out. I believe I will need to study for the exam and the earlier content. I have time to work on studying for this exam and prepare myself. I am nervous for all my exams and I hope I can do well on them.

Finishing Exam Essay

Today I had a friend read my practice essay. I feel good about my essay and I feel prepared. A lot of stress has been lifted since we learned that we can use a note card. I took my essay and summarized each paragraph to be shortened. I am nervous for the exam since I still have lots to review and go over. I will soon bring home all my folders. The earliest exam I have is coming up this week and I am trying hard to study. I am extremely stressed out and nervous. Exams are already nervous before our break. Hopefully I can do well on these exams. Lots of studying needs to be done still and reviewing. Recently I have had lots of homework after school so its been hard to get study time in. Exams are important and can affect my semester grade which is something new to me.

Exam Essay Practice

Today we began writing our essay ideas down for our exam. I was confused and nervous at the beginning of class, but by the end I felt that I had a better grasp what I wanted to say. Tonight I am going to finish my essay so I can review it with groups tomorrow. I chose to begin by preparing to answer option C. I feel confident about my current response. I got to write most of the essay before the end of class. I am still nervous to write the essay on Friday because I am worried I will forget my ideas on Friday. I tried my best to finish and I am ready to write the essay. I have been thinking about how I want to finish my essay and try to remember it. After that I have to study the rest of my Human Geography notes for my exam next week.

Demographic Transition Quiz

Today in class we took our quiz on demographic transition. I did not feel confident about this quiz leading up to it. I had studied for this quiz, but for some reason could not memorize the different stages. I tried to do my best, but I did not review the videos well enough. I only watched one of the videos over again. That was difficult for me and the math was also difficult for me to remember. I think that was the questions that I feel least confident about. I was hoping to do better and feel better because this stresses me out for the exams coming next week. I am getting extremely stressed for my exams. This class has been difficult for me studying wise. I feel better knowing we can practice and  study for our exam. I am still extremely nervous! I am just excited for our break to come in two weeks to help relax and sleep in.

Demographic Transitions Review

Today in class we learned about demographic transitions. We discussed the three videos we watched yesterday during class. The main points of the video were the factors that come into play were for each stage. The first stage main factors evolved not being able to find food, animals and vegetation. This stage had high CBR and high CDR. Large families were encouraged for help at the home and some religious reasons. This was a low rate of increase. The second stage was a time when developing countries had a decrease in CDR from the Industrial Revolution for developed countries. An increase in CDR and a high CBR occurred in developing regions when there was an increase in medical revolutions. In the third stage there is a decrease in the CBR as more families choose not have as many children in their families.Women getting involved with the workforce is also a choice in the decrease in amount of children being born. The CDR continues to fall slowly. The fourth stage is where most countries are found currently. In this stage the CBR is beginning to slowly rise and the CDR is staying stable. This stage has more of a balance since most families have less children and focus more on career and life before having children.

Watching 3 Demographic Transition Videos

Khan Academy Video:

1. You can find the growth rate of a country by subtracting the initial population from the current population and then dividing by the initial population. Once you do that, you can multiply that new number by 100 to get a percentage. 
2. The first stage of the demographic transition shows a decrease in population. The second and third stages show an increase in population due to technological advances. The fourth stage shows a decrease in population because of the lowered number of people having children. 
3. The fifth stage of demographic transition is simply a theory with many questions, but some scientist and people say that the worlds population may stabilize over the years of possibly begin to decline as people continue to use up our natural resources. 

Kim Smith Video:

1. A crazy fact in this video is that the worlds population is expected to continue to grow until we reach 9-10 billion people in around 2050. To me this is a scary facts because I already worry about the 7.6 billion people we have right now on earth. We already need so many resources and supplies that we may run out of by then. 
2. In the early stages of demographic transition, the birth rates were so high because women and children were seen as property. Birth rates were higher than today because children were more beneficial to have around as an extra set of workers at the house with farming and other tasks. Today birth rates have dropped because there is not that high demand for extra labor in the homes. People still have children though to create their families, but now children become liabilities and cost more. 
3. A major concern with over population is called the demographic trap. People have theorized that if a regions population becomes to high, they will begin to lose many required and essential resources for survival so they would be pushed back into stage one. 

Why Populations Grow Video:

1. Population growth can sometimes be calculated by finding the doubling time or the time it takes a regions population to double. This can be calculated by dividing 70 by the growth rate. 
2. The lack of high death rates in developing countries is do to things such as famine, poor quality water sources, high amounts of disease from low sanitation, war, and more. The falling death rate has been improved by improved sanitation, improved food production, and improved medical items.
3. Most developed countries are found in stage four. This means their population is stable. Reasons behind this could include having strong economies, having more educated citizens, strong health care systems, more women in the work force and are highly urbanized. 

The most helpful video for me was the Khan Academy Video. I enjoyed have the visuals with graphs and images to help give me a better understanding and clearer view of what demographic transition is and how it changes over time. I also felt that the example of having a new country and showing the demographic transition over time of that one country helped me to see what is happening to the population through each stage. This video also had population periods to show the change over time which was useful for me since I had previous knowledge on how to read and understand what is happening in a population pyramid. This video helped me the most in getting a more complete understanding of what a demographic transition is. 

Demographic Transition

Today we read an article about demographic transitions. A demographic transition is a process of change in a societies population from high crude birth and death rates and low rate of natural increase to a condition of low crude birth and death rates, low rate of natural increase, and higher total population. There are four to five total stages and there is country that is in every one. The first stage is low growth. The is a very high CBR, very high CDR, and a very low NIR. When food was easily available and obtained the population grew. When food, animals, and vegetation were not as easily accessible, the population declined. The second stage is high growth. Stage 2 has high CBR, rapidly declining CDR, and very high NIR. Developed regions entered this stage after the Industrial Revolution while developing nations entered this stage in the medical revolution. Stage 3 has moderate growth. There was rapidly declining CBR, moderately declining CDR, and moderate NIR. This is when people decided to have fewer children causing a drop in CBR.  Developed regions entered in the first half of the twentieth century. Developing regions entered in the second half of the twentieth century. The fourth stage has low growth. There is very low CBR, low or slightly increasing CDR, and zero or negative NIR. This stage is when the CBR declines to the point where it equals the CDR and the NIR is zero. This is zero population growth.

Reviewing Religion Test

Today we are reviewing our world religion test. I did not get the grade I hoped for, but my score was alright. I think I did not read questions carefully enough to get the score I had hoped for. I am ready to go over my test and see which questions I got wrong. I felt confident, but I was not careful. This quiz dropped my grade which upset me. I believe most of the questions I got wrong were between Hinduism and Buddhism since those are the two religions I commonly mix up. I am really ready for Thanksgiving break to come. I am very tired and am excited to leave with no homework. I plan on eating lots of food over break and enjoying time with my family who I am most thankful for. Thanksgiving is an underrated holiday to me. Most people look over it and look forward to Christmas instead, but now that I am thinking about it, Thanksgiving is great. You get to eat a huge feast, share what you are thankful for since I don't do it enough, and be surrounded with the people you care for most.

World Religion Quiz Day

Today in class we took a quiz on the top five major world religions. During this quiz I was extremely nervous and had been studying very hard. I spent my weekend study for the test and quizzes I have this week. I am nervous to get bad grades because the second quarter is so short so if I were to mess up, my grade may not be able to recover. I am worried that I over thought all my answers. I feel like I confused most question about Hinduism and Buddhism the most. I feel like these religions names are close and some of their religious beliefs are close. Now that I think about some of my responses, I am worried that I got many wrong. I am happy to get this quiz over with so now I only have one more test to worry about. I liked this quiz because I like having every question having the answers with five choices. I knew what all my possible answer choices were so I had a better chance of getting it correct.

Five Major Religions

Today in class we went over the last two of the major religions which were Buddhism and Judaism. Buddhism is the fourth largest religion in the world with 500 million- 1.5 billion followers. Most of its geographic location is southeast Asia, China, Nepal, Japan and the United States. The founder was Siddhartha Gautama. Their major beliefs are the Four Noble Truths and the Eight Fold Path. Judaism has 14-18 million followers being the ninth largest religion. The founder was Abraham and their geographic location is Israel and the United States. Their holy book was the Torah and their beliefs consisted of ethical monotheism meaning God is one, and concerned with the actions of humankind. They also believed in the Ten Commandments. Although Judaism is not in the top five religions, it had major roles in influencing other religions in major ways. Those were the top five major religions in the world.

Beginning World Religion

Today in class we began discussing religion around the world. So far we began with Christianity being the most popular, then Islamic, and finally Hinduism. I was surprised to learn that over 2.2 billion people are Christians and over 1.5 billion people are Islamic. It is crazy to see such high amounts of followers for a religion. I was also surprised to learn that Hinduism is not considered fully a religion, but instead a lifestyle of faith. I didn't think that Hinduism was not considered a religion by its followers. It makes them seem so easy going and free. I often think that religions are much stricter with more rules. I also was unaware how widespread Christianity is. I did not know that people even from places like Africa have followers residing there and the multiple different denominations there are for Christianity. Compared to Hinduism, this is huge since there are only two denominations for Hinduism while Christianity has plenty more.

Test Review

Today in class we went over test. I am happy with my score and I understand what I got wrong. I tried hard on this test and did lots of studying. I am still nervous for our final exams though because I am worried about our earlier units. So far I am beginning to learn and understand what works best for me and best studying tricks. I enjoy this class, but sometimes I worry I wont be able to remember certain statistics. I remember vocabulary best compared to any other information. This test was easy and I am happy that I took the time to go over all my answers before I turned it in. The population period was the hardest for me to figure out and get correct. I had to go over those a few times before I felt confident since it was hard to determine the difference with percentages.

Test Day!

Today in class we took a test on Population and Settlement. I studied lots over the weekend to help me prepare for this test. After taking it, I felt that it was easy and I feel confident on my answers. I am hoping I did well to boost my grade up. I do not think I was able to get a perfect score, but I am hoping I was able to get an A. For me, taking tests are the worst thing. They cause lots of stress and have a major impact on your grade whether you do good or bad. I always put my best effort in, but sometimes it still doesn't work out. Tests are a big deal and I hope I can do well on mine. This unit was easy for me. I felt I was able to grasp the vocabulary and information better than some of the past units. I am ready to move on and begin to learn about different things now. Now my next biggest concern is our exams in December. Those will be the scariest for me.

Last Presentation and Grading

Today in class we watched the last presentation in class. This presentation was about the piracy in Somalia and the population decreasing in Japan. This presentation was very well constructed and presented. I enjoyed this presentation, but wished there were more pictures and it was long. Grading my group was the worst part. It stresses me out even though I know they wont see it. It feels like pressure to grade well and properly since I was unsure of how to grade and what would be fair. I enjoyed working in groups and the presentations. I had fun doing this project and think it worked out very well. It was lots of work and reviewing for the group. Now I am ready to go home. I am excited to take a nap and get some food to eat. I am also nervous for our test on Monday, but I will just do lots of studying.

Presenting Day

Today in class we began presenting our power points to the class. All the ones that were presented today were very good and detailed. I was extremely nervous to present in front of the class. I was worried I would forget what I need to say, but I did not. There were a few spots where I jumbled over my words, but other than that I felt pretty confident. I had been studying my slides to ensure I knew every part of our presentation, not just mine. My group and I spent lots of time researching and reviewing for our project, so I was not worried about that. One of our group members was unable to be there today so we had to make a few last-minute adjustments and corrections to our slides. My group worked very well together, and we were very efficient with our time. I am happy with our final product and presentation.

Reviewing Our Presentation

Today in class we began to read over our slides for our presentation tomorrow. I am nervous to present this information to the class because I worry that I do not know enough about my topic to answer every question asked. I will feel better standing in front of the class because I will have multiple other people up there with me. Tonight, I will be going over the power point again, so I am fully prepared. Presentations are not my favorite so, I am not excited. Our two countries were Cuba for the developing country and Russia as the Post-Industrial country. The problem of Cuba is their economy. They import most of their oil from Venezuela, but Venezuela has had a decrease in their oil production which is creating an oil shortage for Cuba. The solution for this would be to start importing oil from Brazil since they are closer to Cuba and they are a major producer of oil. The problem for Russia is that they are not making enough money of the oil they export so their economy is beginning to fall. Our solution is to have them begin exporting more agricultural products. They currently only make 4.6% of their GDP off of agricultural products, so if they find more trading partners for agricultural products they could make more money off of those products.

Finishing Our Projects

Today in class we finished up out presentations in class. I feel great about my group and our progress. We worked very efficiently and completed our project. It took me a while to figure out what I could do to help but I ended up helping organize and write up a slide. My slide is our solutions to one of Russia’s major problem. Class went by fast today and left me with some extra time. During this time I worked on reading over my slide so I could grasp the information more clearly and finish that up sooner. I am most nervous for presenting. I have a hard time maintaining eye contact with the audience and not reading off of the slides. This is why I try my best to study my slides so I won’t need to use the slide as help. I feel comfortable with my portion and information I need to remember. I am hoping that I’ll feel more comfortable with a group of people with me to present rather than me alone.

Beginning Our Projects

Today in class we began working on our presentations. My group chose Cuba as our developing nations and Russia as our post industrial. I am a little confused on the question being asked. I struggled with finding and determining the question being asked. I had a long day at school today and have multiple projects coming up soon. These are stressing me out and I don't know how to manage my time wisely. This project may take some extra time and work form home. I feel as though the scariest part will be presenting. I am not good at public speaking and tend to fumble over my words. I also tend to look at the ground and read from the slides. I feel better about the fact that our group has multiple people in it. I have a good group that I feel comfortable working with.

Exam Review Day

Today in class we began to review for our exam in December. We answered around 37 questions from our exam. I felt comfortable with these questions that were asked. The questions asked about things like Total Fertility Rate, Rate of Natural Increase,  Crude Birth and Death Rate, Population, Life Expectancy. Life expectancy is the average number of year a person or group has lived born in the same year. The number of people being born per 1,000 is Crude Birth Rate and the number of people dying per 1,000 of a population is Crude Death Rate. By subtracting the Crude Birth Rate from the Crude Death Rate you get the Rate of Natural Increase. The Total Fertility Rate is the average number of children being born per woman. For a country to have a stable population the TFR has to be 2.1 children born per woman. Above 2.1 increases the population and below 2.1 the population is decreasing. When more people are entering a country (immigrant) than leaving (emigrant)  the Net Migration Rate would be positive and the opposite. The population of the world is around 7.6 billion people and in the United States the population is around 326 million people. The world first hit 1 billion people in 1804. The final fact is that women tend to live longer than men for a few reasons such as women tend to take better care of themselves and women don't do as many risky things or jobs.

CIA Reflecting Our Studies

1.)

• My first fact is that Brazil has a Total Fertility Rate of 1.75 children per woman. This shows that the population will be decreasing for Brazil. We know this because the rate for a country to stay stable in population is 2.1 children per woman. If higher than that the population would grow and if lower the population will decrease. The population will be slowly decreasing over time. 
• The GDP per capita in Iraq is $16,700. This show can show how poor a country and their people are. This is a low average. This fact is so interesting to me because the GDP per capita in the United States is $59,800. This is such a major difference and to some citizens in the United States we may think that only $16,700 would be extremely difficult to live off of. This could be a major reason people emigrate from this country to a place where they could have better economic opportunities. 
• Another important fact is that the Net Migration Rate of Lebanon is -40.30 . This is a major fact because it shows how many people are leaving this country per 1,000 people compared to people entering. This fact shows that this is a country with more people leaving than entering. This fact also shows that this country has many push factors and does not have many opportunities compared to a place like the United States with a Net Migration rate of 3.80 immigrants for every 1,000 people. 
• The Democratic Republic of Congo has a Health Expenditure is 403% which is incredible. This is a massive percentage and will strongly benefit this country. This will help improve the countries population and increase the life expectancy if the can improve their health resources. The stronger these get and more the improve the longer their citizens can live. 
• The Net Migration Rate of South Korea is 0%. This means that nobody is entering or leaving the country in a year. This country is extremely controlled and monitored so nobody is entering nor leaving.  

2.)

• After looking at the population pyramid of Barbados the population will slowly decrease. This can be determined because the middle section of the pyramid is the longest while the bottom is shorter. This means that the population will most likely stay stable. 
• The population pyramid of Pakistan shows that the population will grow rapidly. This population will grow rapidly because the base is extremely long while the higher or older ages length decreases. More younger people are in Pakistan compared to the older ages. 
• The population in Singapore is growing at a quick pace. You can tell this because the middle section of of this population pyramid is the widest. This means that the population is growing but not at a rapid speed. 
• South Korea's population pyramid shows that the population is decreasing. The top of the pyramid is the widest and it narrows down as it gets lower. This means that there is more older people than younger people to reproduce. 
• Aruba has a stable population. The widest part of the population is the widest in the middle of the pyramid. This means that the majority of the population are adults who can reproduce. There is not an extreme amount of children to grow up and not an extreme amount of elders who are passing away. This population is stable and large. This is a dense population. 

Hans Rosling Video Quiz

Today in class we started with a discussion on our thoughts of the United States helping African countries begin exporting oil from their land. I think this could be a smart decision only if the United States would be getting some profit. It would most likely cost the United States to help them learn how to extrude the oil also the United States would be apart of the process so it could be a way for both countries to earn a profit. If not this would only be a one sided game. This partnership could also stem into an alliance of the countries. This would also be a positive thing for both countries.  I think it would also be a good idea for the African countries switched to a democratic nation. This would lead to less conflicts and the people could add some input rather than the government have the only say with all the power. We also re watched the Hans Rosling video and went over the main points in the video. After we did that we took a quiz on the main points. I did well on this quiz and feel comfortable with all the information.

Visualization of Lifespan and GDP throughout 200 Years

Today in class we watched a video called, Hans Rosling: 200 years in 4 minutes. This video began with showing a diagram for countries of the world with life span along the y axis and the GDP per capita along the x axis. The life span went from 25 to 75 years and the GDP per capita went from $400 to $400,000. Rosling said the the lower left corner with the low life span and low GDP is where the poor and sick are located. The rich and healthy are put into the top right corner with the higher lifespan and higher GDP. On the diagram there were multiple circles or dots to represent different countries. The larger the dot, the larger the population is. The diagram began in 1810. With almost all of the countries in the lower left with the average lifespan of the world was 40 years old and low GDP.  When it gets to the Industrial Revolution in the early 1800's, caused a spike in GDP increase and lifespan. The Industrial Revolution caused for the economy from mass production. In the early 1900's there was a major drop in lifespan and GDP because of WWI and the Spanish Flu Epidemic.

Population Pyramid

Today we discussed population pyramids in class. A population pyramid is a chart of population that is split by gender and age. In this split, men are listed generally on the left and women are listed generally on the right. At the bottom of the pyramid is the youngest age and as the lit goes up, the age categories do as well. The intervals of each lever are most frequently 5 years apart. The three major ranges for women are pre-reproduction which begin at ages 0-14, the currently reproducing ages 15- 44, and the post reproduction ages are from 45-100+ years. If the pyramid has a wide base then the population is growing rapidly. If the middle is the widest part of the pyramid then the population is growing slowly. The shorter the bar is then the less people or population there is from that age group. Then we discussed that demographic transition is breaking down the age groups. Pre- industrialization is before a country is fully developed and has improved their resources of technology. 

Population and Settlement Test Review

Today in class we went over our most recent test. I am happy with how I did on the test. I felt that this test was easy and quick to take. I was only nervous on taking the CIA.gov portion because of the time limit. I ended up getting all of those correct and done in an efficient amount of time. I was not too worries was about the different portion but I ended up getting the definition of GDP per capita incorrect. I did not see the difference in ways of expressing it. I also had trouble with the section asking for the highest Net Migration Rate and Total Fertility Rate of the nations. I am happy that I got the extra credit correct because it helped boost my final score. I feel confident that I now know the information we went over after our review and the information from this unit in class.

Population and Settlement Test

Today in class we took a test on population and settlement. I feel confident about this test. I studied hard for this test and made sure to review everything I could. The most stressful part was trying to navigate through CIA.gov. Although  have been on this cite plenty of times, I began to panic and click some of the wrong things or continually forget where each category was. I am not good when it comes to being timed on tests so this part was the most concerning for me. The only part where I had some trouble on was with a few vocabulary words. Fort the most part I knew them, but there we two words I did not know. That was one question I guessed on. I am happy to have gotten this test over with finally. I hope that I can get a good grade on this test and bring up my grade. This test I found was short and easy.

Population and Settlement Review

Today in class we reviewed for our upcoming test on population and settlement. I feel this review was helpful for preparing me. First thing to go over while studying is about the world population. The most important facts would be that the worlds current population is 7.6 billion people, the first billion was reached in 1804, and 90% of the population growth rate is from developing countries such as Africa, South and Central America, East Asia, and Latin America. The next slides most important fact is Crude Birth rate is the number of births per 1,000 of a population, the Crude Death rate is the number of deaths per 1,000 of a population, and the Rate of Natural Increase(RNI) is produced from subtracting the death rate from the birth rate. If there are more deaths than births, the RNI would be negative, if there are more births the RNI would be positive. The Net Migration Rate is the difference between people entering and exiting a country . Immigration is the number of people entering a country and emigration is the number of people exiting a country. Then we discussed Push Factors and Pull Factors. A push factor makes somebody want to leave a country and a pull factor is what brings a person to a country. To keep a countries population the same, there needs to be a birthrate if 2.1 children per woman. If this rate is lower, the population will drop. If this number is higher, the population will grow. The final topic was Gross Domestic Product(GDP). The GDP divided by the number of people gives the GDP per capita.

CIA World Fact Book Review

Today in class we reviewed the answers we got from the blog questions yesterday. I really like the CIA World Fact book. I find it so interesting that you can look on this website and find multiple facts and statistics from almost every country. This site is super useful to find information, reliable, and is easy to navigate. I like how every category or group has its own section that you can read more on rather than having one large paragraph with lots of numbers. Some of the statistics really surprise me such the GDP per capita in Luxembourg is $105,100 while the GDP in the United States is $59,000. This is a huge difference when comparing the two countries. I am also able to learn about countries I didn't know existed. There are many statics that surprise me, especially form the suffering countries like the life expectancy of Afghanistan is 52.10 years or the GDP per capita rate in Chad is $2,300.

CIA World Fact Book

1. What is the population of China, and of India? 
   The population of China is 1,384,688,986. The population if India is 1,296,834,042.

2. What is the Total Fertility Rate in Japan?
   The Total Fertility Rate in Japan is 1.42 children born per woman. This is 209th in the world.

3. What is the death rate in El Salvador?
   The death rate in El Salvador is 5.8 deaths per 1,000 in the population.
4. What percentage of the French identify “none” as their religion? Is this statistic verifiable, and why?
   The percent of French that identify their religion as "none" is 23 -28%. This statistic is not fully verifiable because in France the government does not often ask their citizens their religion because they feel it is not their business and to separate the church from the government. This means that some French citizens may not have decided to tell the government their true beliefs so the rather stated none.
5. What percentage of Mexicans identify themselves as Roman Catholic?
   82.7% of Mexicans identify themselves as Roman Catholic.
6. What is the GDP - per capita (PPP) in the United States?
   The GDP in the Untied States is $59,800.
7. What is the GDP - per capita (PPP) in Nigeria?
   The GDP in Nigeria is $5,900.
8. What is the GDP - per capita (PPP) in Luxembourg?
   The GDP in Luxembourg is $105,100.

9. What percentage of the United States’ population are Internet users?
   The percentage of Internet Users in the United States population is 76.2%.

10. What is the number of airports in Russia, and in the United States?
    There are 1,218 airports in Russia. There are 13,513 airports in the United States.

11. How many people in the world do not have electricity?
    1.201 billion people in the world don't have electricity.

12. What is the Infant Mortality Rate in Canada, Cuba, and the United States? 
    The Infant Mortality Rate in Canada is 4.5 deaths per 1,000 of the population. The Infant Mortality Rate in Cuba is 4.4 deaths per 1,000 of the population. The Infant Mortality Rate in the United States is 5.7 deaths per 1,000 of the population.
13. What is the literacy rate - total, for men, and for women - in Afghanistan?
    The literacy rate in total is 38.2%, for men it's 52%, and for women it is 24.2% in Afghanistan.
14. What three countries have the highest life expectancy?
    The three countries with the highest life expectancy is Monaco, Japan, and Singapore.
15. What three countries have the lowest life expectancy?
    The three countries with the lowest life expectancy are Afghanistan, Zambia, and Lesotho.
16. What nation has the sixteenth highest Net Migration Rate?
    The sixteenth highest Net Migration Rate is Monaco with 6.50.
17. What is the unemployment rate in Vietnam, South Korea, the United States, India and Kenya?
    The unemployment rate in Vietnam is 7.3%, 10.4% in South Korea, 10.1% in India, and 40% in Kenya.
18. Military Expenditures are listed by the percentage of each nation's GDP spent on defense.

What percentage is spent by Germany, China, and the United States?
GDP percentages spent on defense in Germany is 1.24%, in China it is 1.87%, and in the United States it is 3.16%.

19. What three countries produce the most crude oil, and how much do they produce?

20. What three countries import the most crude oil, and how much do they import?
The top three countries with crude oil import is the Untied States with 7,969,000 bbl, China with 6,710,000 bbl, and India with 4,057,000 bbl.

21. What percentage of the world’s people speak Spanish? Chinese? English?

6% of the world speaks Spanish, 5.1% of the world speaks English, and 12.3% speak Chinese.

Population Rates

Today in class we discussed different rates used to measure population. The first two rates we talked about was crude birth rate and crude death rate. Crude birth rate is the number of births per 100 of the population and crude death rate is the number of deaths per 1000 in a population. Then we talked about what rate of natural increase(RNI) is. RNI is the crude death rate in a population subtracted from the crude birth rate of that population. This is most often seen as a positive number because in most countries, the number of people being born is higher than those who are dying. This may not always be the case though. Then we talked about how migration can impact a population. Net migration rate is the number of people leaving or entering a country during year. A person who is entering a new country is an immigrant or immigration while a person leaving a country is an emigrant or emigration. When people enter a country, it is written as a positive number. When people are exiting a country, it is written as a negative number. The final thing we talked about was push and pull factors. A push factor is something that makes people want to leave their country such as civil war or unemployment rates. A pull factor is something that makes somebody want to move somewhere such as religious freedom or better employment opportunities.

Life Expectancy Rates Around the World

Today in class we went over more on population and settlement. First, we learned about life expectancy. Life expectancy is the average number of years to be lived by a group of people born in the same year. The average life expectancy rate for a person living in the United States is around 80 years. The highest life expectancy comes from Monaco with around 89 years and the lowest is from Afghanistan with around 52 years. We also found that women tend to have higher life expectancy's than men. A few reasons for this could be women most likely will watch see doctors when they feel sick, men do more risky jobs than women, and men take more risks and are less cautious than women. We also began to discuss our thoughts on if younger generations would have a longer life expectancy compared to some of the older generations. Some said younger generations would have a longer life expectancy based on our increase in technology and medication for health reasons, but others said younger generations would have a lower life expectancy based on the increasing rates of  drug users such. These drugs include nicotine found in cigarettes or e-cigarettes.

Test Review

Today we got to get our test back. We reviewed our answers. I enjoyed this because it helped me figure out what I need to study more and figure out what I got wrong. This test will be helpful for me to study with. Before the review I was unsure of what I got wrong and I felt confident before the test. We also got more clarification on how we can fix the things we messed up. I also learned better ways to help me study what I got wrong. Absolute and Relative location is what confused me the most, but now I understand what the difference is. The test was not too difficult for me. I think I should have studied more thoroughly than I did.  I also was confused about time zones. It was hard for me to remember which direction the time zones increased and what way they would decrease. 

Population and Settlements

In class, we began by having free time to do any homework we had since another student was taking a test. In this time I, wanted to finish my math homework and my blog first. Having this time is very helpful because I did not have an off mod today which is the time, I usually get my homework done. This time was able to make up for my missing off mod. Once our time is up, we will begin talking about population and settlement. To begin my research, I started with defining population and settlement. Population is a group of people or things that make up an area or species. Settlement is a place that people choose to live and establish as a community, town, or group. Taking a guess, I would say we are discussing these topics at the same time because a population of citizens would make up a settlement. We then discussed how there is currently 7.6 billion people on earth at this moment.

Test Day

In class today we took a test. The test was about the Time Zones, Grids, and and how geographers describe location. During the test I struggled with questions about absolute and relative location.  These questions made me think and some were more obvious than others. I also had some trouble with time zone questions and remembering which way was adding and subtracting time off. I knew those were going to be tough for me, but I think I did alright with them. I was very nervous for this test just because I have been hoping I would do well. I studied a lot for this test, so I feel somewhat confident. It was not too difficult, but I am still a little nervous. Reading over the power point we reviewed in class was the most help for me as a studying tool. I am revealed that the test is over and I am ready to begin a new topic. 

Test Review Day

Today in class we took time to study for our test that is tomorrow. We reviewed by going over the Time Zones and Grids PowerPoint. I like using this PowerPoint because it has all the information we need while being straight to the point.  I've been using that to help me study along with the rest of my notes. I studied this weekend and during my off mods to help me prepare for this test. I feel pretty confident about this test. I will continue to study. I am most nervous about Coordinated Universal Time(UTC) and Daylight Savings. I sometimes forget the definitions and purposes of these things. UTC is the primary standard time is the primary time standard by which they would regulate the clocks and time. Daylight savings time some temperature zone countries adjust local clocks by an hour. Now I have to go study some more and finish preparing for my test.

Map Pop Quiz

Today in class, we went over some questions that other students had made for our blogs yesterday. This was helpful for me because I felt that it had many of the same questions that were on the pop quiz we took today. The pop quiz was stressful. I did not like only have ten seconds to answer the question. For me, I need to reread each question a few times and think about all my possible choices. I also did not like how I could not review my work when I was finished. I think I would have done better if I could have looked over all the possible questions and then made my final decision. I did not do too bad, but I feel that I could have done better. I don't like pop quizzes because of the stress of not being prepared to take a quiz. The stress alone can affect my test taking skills. The quiz surprised me, but it was a very helpful and will prepare me for our test.

Writing Test Questions

Today in class, we were given the task to write some questions for a possible test we came up with. These test questions could consist of the most important information.


1.) Which of the following are not used to help geographers find locations?
    A. Site
    B. Region
    C. Situation
(Answer: B)

2.)What are two questions that geographers try to answer?
(Answer:Where are people and activities found on earth?, Why are they found there?)


3.) What is the difference between absolute and relative location?
(Answer: Absolute location is a places exact location found with coordinates, degrees, minutes, seconds. Relative location is using regional and relative areas, buildings, landmarks, or streets that are close and familiar to another place.)

4.) A line of longitude is called a ____________, while a line of latitude is called a ___________.
(Answer: Meridian, Parallel)

5.) What is are the zero degree lines for longitude and latitude?
(Answer: Longitude: Prime Meridian Latitude: Equator)

6.) What is the correct order of major or important parallel lines from the complete South to the North?
1._______________
2._______________
3._______________
4._______________
5._______________
(Answer: Antarctic Circle, Tropic of Capricorn, Equator, Tropic of Cancer, and Arctic Circle)

7.) How many regions are there in the time zones throughout the world?
    A.)12 Regions
    B.)360 Regions
    C.)24 Regions
(Answer: C)

8.)What is the name of the location that the time zones are organized by?
     A.) Greenwich, England
     B.)Los Angeles, California
     C.)Paris, France
(Answer: Greenwich, England)

9.) What are two reasons time zones were formed?
(Answer: Commercial reasons, legal purposes, and social purposes.

10.) What is the acronym for Coordinated Universal Time?
   A.)CUT
   B.)CTU
   C.) UTC
(Answer: B)

Map Quiz, Longitude, and Time Zones

Today in class, we took a quiz on a few maps. The maps were of Central America, South America, and North America. I found that having two different maps made it difficult for me to recall where each location was meant to be. I studied by playing some games, but I think trying to do the two different maps at once mixed me up. I felt more confident with the Central and North America map. Next, we discussed lines of longitude. A line of longitude is called a meridian. These meridians run north to south and measure east or west of the Prime Meridian. Lines of latitude also help to separate time zones. Greenwich, England is the center of the time zone separations. It acts as a zero degree mark. The earth is divided into twenty-four even regions of time zones. Every time zone is divided by country's or states. To the left of Greenwich, one hour is subtracted from the Greenwich time and so on for every region over. To the right of Greenwich, an hour is added every time you move over a region. That is how time zones are separated.

Lines of Latitude and Longitude

Today in class, we discussed the two reasons for maps and locations. The questions are Where are the people and activities found on Earth? and Why are they found there? Next we discussed maps. A map is a two-dimensional or flat- scale model of Earths surface. The two main things about maps are absolute and relative locations. Absolute location is the position as expressed in degrees, minutes, seconds of lines of latitude and longitude. A minute is 1/360 of a map divided by 60. A second is a minute divided by another 60. Relative location is the regional position or situation of a place relative to the position of other places. This reminded me of situation. Situation is used to compare similar locations as a helpful guide for better sense of directions. Next parts of a map is longitude and latitude lines. Longitude lines run North to South, 90 degrees either above or below the Equator. Latitude lines run East to West, 90 degrees either left or right of the Prime Meridian. That is what lines of latitude and longitude are.

What is Situation

Today in class we discussed what situation is by geographers. Situation is another thing that geographers use to describe where things are. Situation is when people us familiar things to compare with an unfamiliar location. Comparing things like familiar landmarks, buildings, and streets help direct people to a location they are not familiar with. An example of this would be describing where Bel Air is to an outsider. To describe Bel Air it is easy for somebody to say that it is in the Northern part of Maryland, a few miles from the Pennsylvania line, and it is near Baltimore. This is a better description because using a common or well known city or direction helps give outsiders a familiar place to compare with Bel Air. The familiar locations are places that are highly populated and recognizable from having desirable characteristics. An example of this would be that Baltimore has useful and popular waterways such as the Chesapeake Bay and the seafood that comes from it. This is how situation can help geographers find locations.

All About Site

Today in class, we learned about what site is. A site is used for geographers to describe where things are. The site of a location is the physical characteristics of a plane. Examples of sites are climate, water sources, topography, soil, vegetation, latitude, and elevation. These are the characteristics that make every location different. Some locations that are on the same latitude may share similar characteristics, not all will be the same. An interesting fact is that humans are able to change and modify the traits of a site. An example of this would be in Manhattan, New York, they added soil and land to make one of their islands larger. It has since grown to around twice its original size. I would be worried to live or be on that simply because it was man made rather than naturally there. I would be nervous that it isn't stable or safe. I don't think creating and forming new land is a good idea though because it is polluting the ocean and could really destroy it over time by adding trash under the soil and making fish relocate.

Central America, North America, and South America Maps

First Test Review

Today we went over our first test. I am happy with my score and I am glad I studied as much as I did. Going over the test was very helpful for me to understand and figure out the corrections to some of my responses and ways I could improve them. I felt quite confident about this test because I studied lots and thoroughly went through each question. I also felt I was able to manage my time well on this test. This test should be very useful study tool when it comes to our future exams. My favorite part of today was being able to share our responses for the last written response with the class. I enjoyed hearing others points of views on whether Socrates was guilty of his crimes or not because I was able to hear opinions from both sides. Some responses were very detailed and made me think more about my own stance. Hearing other responses helped me figure out how to improve my own and strengthen my own.

Mercator Vs Peters Projection Map

In class today we began with researching the difference between Mercator Maps and Peters Projection Maps. Here are some of my findings for Mercator Maps;

• Mercator maps are preferred by many sailors because it shows constant compass direction which helps prevent navigational error when sailing
• The distance in between each longitude and latitude lines are all constant and the same distance apart
• Since the lines of latitude and longitude are all an equal distance away which is inaccurate compared to the actual earth, the Mercator maps are less accurate when it comes to the size or proportion of the continents 
• Places farther from the equator become much larger and the places closer to the equator become smaller in size on these maps
• These maps are better when they are focused on one specific place or country
• These are the maps that are commonly seen and used in schools and around the world
• Some people are offended by this map saying that the countries that have been distorted and shrunk are being put down or disrespected for being inaccurately represented
• Gerardus Mercator developed this map in 1569

Here are my findings on Peters Projection Maps;

• The lines of longitude and latitude on this map are not equivalent distances apart throughout. This helps represent the curve and sphere shape of the earth
• This map is said to be more accurate because it shows the actual size of every content and looks like how the earth would on a two dimensional plane
• This map is far less common than a Mercator Map
• Land masses can be seen as there actual size in comparison to the Mercator maps that distort country sizes
• The higher up on the map, the shorter the distance between lines of latitude and the closer to the edge, the shorter distance there is between lines of longitude
• Arno Peters was the man who founded this map in 1973

I would like to start using the Peters Projection Map. Although I am not used to that map yet, I feel that it would be better to use the Peters Projection Map. This map is the more accurate out of the two styles and I would like to be able to see what the world truly looks like. I never knew how large Africa truly is or how small the United States is until I looked at Peters Projection Map. After looking at this map once I already learned so much more about the world than I knew before. I had not noticed this difference between style of maps and country sizes until I looked at this map. This is why I would prefer to use the Peters Projection Map.

Learning About Maps

Today in class we began talking about maps. We also learned the difference between Mercator and Peters Projection Maps. A Mercator map is a map where the latitude and longitude and equivalent distances away from each other. This makes the map inaccurate and changes the sizes of each content compared to its actual size. Although this is the case, Mercator maps are the more commonly used maps. The Peters Projection Map is the more accurate map. The lines of latitude and longitude are changed to represent the curve of the earth. This map stretches out the continents and portrays them to their actual size. The Peters Projection Map is not as commonly seen or used. We looked at three different maps. Each one was a little bit different in the type of map, coloring, locations shown and more. The first map was strictly of the United States. This map showed roads and major interstates, cities, and separated states by colors. The next map was a world map. The colors sectioned of every country and was a Mercator map. This map only had major marks or locations symbolized. The final map was color coded by continents and was a Peters Projection Map.

The First Test

We had our first test today. I was extremely nervous before hand so I studied a lot to hopefully do better. My biggest concern was about the written responses since I am not very good at managing my time. Today however, I think I did pretty good. I was able to finish both of my responses with time to spare. Test definitely make me nervous just because I always hope I can do well, but I never truly know how I did until I get the test back. I had some trouble with the questions about Ancient Greek terms such as polis and agora. I took my time and tried my best so I am hoping I did well. The written responses were the best part for me because I enjoyed being able to write about my own thoughts and opinions. It made that question easy and fun. I was able to elaborate more on that question as well. I felt pretty good about this text, and I hope to feel the same for the next one!

Ancient Greece Test Review

Today in class we began to review for our test tomorrow. The test is about A Message to Garcia, Ancient Greece, and Socrates. We discussed possible questions such as ,"When was A Message to Gracia published?" or "What was the significance of the year 508 BC in Ancient Greece?". The questions I need to review are based on A Message to Garcia. This text had a very specific message and one main idea so I feel that it wont be too hard to study for. Another thing I have to study is the Socratic Method. The Socratic Method is revolved around critical thinking and trying to make people clarify their thoughts without changing their minds. We also went over the final slides in the power point online. I am nervous for this quiz, but especially the written responses. Now it is officially time to study and review one more time.

Socrates in Ancient Greece

In class today we reviewed our vocabulary and learned more about Socrates. We began to learn about Socrates and his importance in Ancient Greece. He was a one of the first moral philosophers and he founded western Greek philosophy. He came up with the Socratic Method which was made to make the citizens think critically and try to make them clarify their own thoughts without changing their minds. He taught this method to children outside the agora. This was highly criticized by the Greek people, so they charged Socrates with Corruption of Athens Youth and Impiety or not believing in the gods of the state. Socrates died in prison from drinking poison Hemlock. We learned that Greece was the first place to ever have a democracy recorded in history. A stronger democracy leads to greater excellence. The Athenians valued the democracy so they fought for it and wanted to learn more about it.

Ancient Greeks

Today, we are tasked to define the following terms for our blog post.

• Agora- An agora is a public space for large gatherings in town such as assemblies or markets,

• Polis- A city-state in Ancient Greece.

• 508 BC in Ancient Greece- 508 BC was the year that Ancient Greece had officially became a democracy.  The leader at the time, Cleisthenes, introduced the democracy to Greece, but it was not consistently used in Greece. This new form of government would late be used around in the modern world. 
• Socrates- Socrates was a famous Greek philosopher who was very thorough in his work.  He founded Western Civilization Philosophy in England and America. He was one of the first moral philosophers.  

• The Death of Socrates- Socrates died at a trial after being told that his theories and conspiracies were wrong and needed to be stopped. He was then executed in 399 BC. He died sticking up for his beliefs and opinions so he was not upset with his punishments. He died in prison and was charged with corruption of the younger generations minds and disobeying the gods. 

• The Socratic Method- The Socratic method is to think over a problem and come to a logical conclusion. He would not jump to any answers without giving every option a thought. Trying to make civil conversations and arguments. This method clarifies opinions and question peoples conclusions. It is critical thinking without trying to change the persons mind.
• What did Idiot mean to the Ancient Greeks- Idiot meant a person who is private and doesnt contribute to politics or the community.

Third Post

Today in class, we discussed Elbert Hubbard's purpose behind writing A Message to Garcia. The main message was to describe how important initiative and hard work is. Hubbard describes that the people who work hard and complete a task without asking questions are the more successful people. People who can take initiative and be a leader will get rewarded for their work. Hubbard describes how modern day people need to have more motivation. Instead of asking why they have to do something or attempting to get out of the task, they should complete their task the best they can. In A Message to Garcia, Rowan completed his task of getting the message to Garcia without any questions being asked. That is the best way to get things done in Hubbard's eyes. The employees or bosses who hesitate when a task is difficult, are considered imbeciles in Hubbard's eyes. That was Elbert Hubbard's purpose of writing A Message to Garcia.

Second Post

Today in class we talked about two main topics. The first main topic was about the challenges of high school. One of my biggest challenges was dealing with time management. I struggle trying to find time for my homework and spending time with my family. I try to use my free time in school to finish any homework I have which helps me save time at home. I have practices for sports once or twice a week so that gives me more time at home to finish school work. Another challenge for me is remembering my schedule. With eight day class rotations, it is hard for me to remember which class I have to go to next. The other main topic was reading "A Message to Garcia", by Elbert Hubbard. The main message that we gathered is to not procrastinate, instead just get things done. In the article man named Rowan delivered a message from the war to a man named Garcia. Rowan delivered the message with no hesitation. This is an idea many people can learn from. You have to have the mindset to complete your task and get it over with rather than complain or procrastinate about it.

First Blog Post

For my first day at John Carroll, the best part of my day was being able to see my friends during lunch. In my middle school I was not allowed to choose my own seat or who I could sit next to, so being able to have the freedom to choose those things was really nice. I could then talk to my friends about how their days were going and what the rest of our schedules were. The worst part of my day was trying to find where my classes were. I had a hard time finding the room numbers I needed to be at and trying to find what side of the hallway they were on. I like my seat in class because I am far from the air conditioning. I get cold easily so being on the other side of the room made the room feel a comfortable temperature.