It took more than 500 scientists and seven years of research, but the first global earthquake hazard map is now complete. How come it took seven whole years? Well, for starters, the scientists had to contend with forces much greater than earthquakes. Try politics.

The above image shows the pattern of major fault lines throughout the Americas.

Unveiled in San Francisco at the American Geophysical Union, the map shows that about 15 per cent of the Earth’s land is in zones of high or very high hazard – which the researchers define as a 10 per cent chance or greater of violent shaking over the next 50 years. Less than half of the planet’s land is considered a low hazard. But coming up with the numbers once the data were in was the easy part, explains the co-ordinator of the international effort, Domenico Giardini of the Swiss Seismological Service in Zurich.

“The standards by which hazard is done is completely different from country to country. It depends on when it was done, what philosophy they adopted, the quality of data that was available. It was this lack of standards that until now has stalled any effort to look at the global seismic risk in a homogenous way,” says Giardini.

Giardini recalls particular problems. “There were political boundary problems. For example in the Near East, the difficulty of having Syria, Israel and then Jordan and Egypt working together was very difficult,” says Giardini, who also remembers that India and China had never worked together, nor had Turkey, Iran and the former Soviet Union. He recalls the difficulty that grew from the international set of criteria that had to be used – which meant scientists from some countries, in order to comply with the new global standard, had to recalculate their seismological data. “It was very difficult originally, this is why the project lasted so long,” he says, adding that once a consensus was reached and once the scientists got used to working together, “things started to fly.”

Researchers were surprised to learn how high the hazard of earthquakes is throughout the African Rift.

Much as you would expect, the map – which specifically predicts the probability of peak ground acceleration, or an earthquake that most likely damages low-rise buildings – highlights some infamous ground-shaking hotspots, such as southern California, Hawaii and Turkey. But, since for some countries this was the first-ever seismological hazard assessment, the map highlights some new earthquake zones. In Africa, for example – for which there was little data – the hazard is much higher than researchers would have thought. And finding that data was a little harder than they might of thought as well.

In the eastern part of Africa, along the African Rift, much of the historic seismic activity had occurred in unpopulated and undeveloped places. Giardini explains that the hazards we are familiar with are a measure of our memory. Unlike in heavily populated cities, though, memory is short in these kinds of barren regions. In the end, researchers had to go as far away as England to find historic data on past earthquakes in the African Rift. Similarly, some researchers even looked in the Bible to find out the history of earthquakes in the Middle East.

With the new map, which was launched by the International Lithosphere Program with support from the United Nations’ International Decade for Natural Disasters, every country now has information on its own hazardous zones. According to Giardini, the map will be useful for engineers, urban planners and insurers to help regulate codes of design and construction. What the map does not measure, however, is risk from earthquakes.

Seismologists make a distinction between hazard, which is the probability of ground shaking, and risk, which is the probability of damage or of casualties – a multiplication of the hazard by the vulnerability of the building. So Giardini cautions that just because you may live in a high hazard region is no reason to start packing your bags – after all, he says, there are very few completely safe places to live. Instead, cities can limit the impact of an earthquake.

“Now a society can live with earthquakes as it can live with volcanoes, but it has to be prepared for that. So in itself, the hazard can be high, but not necessarily the risk. If you live in a well-built house and your infrastructure is up to standards, then you can live with earthquakes,” says Giardini, who adds, that the difficult part is getting the entire world to achieve this.

Steps to Prepare a Science Fair Project

1. Select a Topic
Remember a Science Fair Project is a test you do to find an answer to a question, not just showing what you know about something. To find a effective topic/idea- look at sample projects, look at this list, look at projects in books or projects from last years science fair – then add your own question, your own idea to them.
Don’t just use these ideas.
Take these ideas and add something of your own.
For example, change Are dogs colorblind? to Are cats colorblind? Or look at another of the 5 senses of dogs and test their sense of taste…
• What material is the best insulator
• Are dogs colorblind
• Do soap bubbles last longer on warm or cold days
• Are hot air balloons different from blimps
• What is the best method, other than heat, to melt ice
• What effect does oil have on water plants
• What would happen to the weather if the Earth was a cube
• Do goldfish chemicals they sell you really help the fish adapt to the new aquarium
• How can a tomato plant be grafted to a potato plant How is sound obtained from a compact disk
• How does a nuclear reactor work, how does it look
• How is 2-yr old talk different from ours
• How does burning gasoline make a car move
• How do we tell how far away a star is from Earth
• What soils are best to build a house on
• How do plants react to different kinds of music, different light, colors, and different neighbor plants
• What is the best way to dispose of paper
• Do plants move
Ways to find a science fair project idea:
• Look at lists of science categories and pick one that you are interested in, then narrow that down to a project. (example, say you pick psychology, then narrow it to the differences between boys and girls, then to a topic like “Do boys remember boy-type pictures (footballs) better than girl-type pictures (flowers)?” (Two lists of categories attached)
• Use your experiences Remember a time you noticed something and thought “I wonder how that works?” or “I wonder what would happen if…” then turn that into a project. Check the science section of the school library. Browse and look at book titles, then look inside the ones that look interesting to you. Also thumb through encyclopedias and magazines. Good magazines for ideas are: National Geographic, Discover, Omni, Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, Mother Earth News, High Technology, Prevention, and Garbage. Perhaps go to the downtown Library.
• Think about current events. Look at the newspaper. People are hungry in Africa because of droughts – a project on growing plants without much rain, which types grow ok with little water? Or the ozone hole over Antarctica – how can we reduce ozone? -a project on non-aerosol ways to spray things. Or oil spills. how can we clean them up? -a project on how to clean oil out of water.
• Watch commercials on TV. Test their claims. Does that anti-perspirant really stop wetness better than other ones? What are the real differences between Barbie and imitation Barbie dolls? Can kids tell the difference between coke and Pepsi if they don’t know which they are drinking?

2. Gather Background Information
Gather information about your topic from books, magazines, the Internet, people and companies.
Keep notes about where you got your information.

3. Scientific Method
State the Purpose of your experiment – What are you trying to find out?
Select a variable (something you will change/vary) that will help you find your answer.
State your Hypothesis – your guess about what the answer will be.
Decide on and describe how you will change the thing you selected.
Decide on and describe how you will measure your results.

4. Run Controlled Experiment and Record Data
Do the experiment as described above.
Keep notes in one place. Write down everything you can think of, you might need it later.

5. Graphs and Charts
What happened? Answer that question, then put the results in graphs and charts.

6. Construct an Exhibit or Display
It has to be neat, but it does NOT have to be typed.
Make it fun, but be sure people can understand what you did.
Show that you used the Scientific Method.

7. Write a short Report
Tell the story of your project – tell what you did and exactly how you did it.
Include a page that shows where you gathered background information. It can be 2 pages or even more.
Using your notes you can make a first-class science fair project by writing a good paper explaining what you did. Some teachers/judges require less and others more, but you should consider following sections to write and organize your science fair project paper:
• Title Page: Your project’s name (it can be in the form of a question) Your name, school and grade.
• Table of Contents: List the parts of your report (Introduction, Hypothesis and Research, Procedure/Experiment, etc) and the page numbers where they begin. You’ll have to make this page after the others.
• Introduction: One paragraph that tells the whole story. One way to do this is to write a sentence for each idea in the scientific method. One of the purpose, one telling what experiment or test you did, etc.
• Hypothesis and Background Research: State your PURPOSE in more detail, what made you think of this project. Tell what you found out from the books or other sources you used to learn about your topic and be sure those sources are listed in your bibliography.
• Procedure/Experiment: List the materials you used and what you did. If drawings will make it clearer, draw on separate pages and put in this section. Explain in detail things you made.
• Results: Describe what happened, what you observed. Show your data.
• Conclusion: Describe your interpretation of your results. Look over your notes, charts, and log and write what you think your data shows. You can put your opinions here. Was your hypothesis (what you expected to happen) correct? Don’t be afraid to say that you might have made a mistake somewhere. Great discoveries can come from what we learn from mistakes!
Be sure to state the limitations of your project. (For example, if your project was to find out something about dogs and you used your dog, you can say “My dog did this. This might not be the same for other dogs.” You can’t say that all dogs would behave the same as yours because you didn’t check all dogs.)
• Credits/References: List of books, articles, pamphlets, people you talked to and any other sources you used for researching your idea and writing your paper.
• Sources: They are written or typed in this form:
Last name of author (or person you talked to), First name, “Title of article or chapter”, Title of source (book title , magazine title or “Conversation”), Place where published:Publisher name, Date, volume: pages.

8. Practice Presentation to Judges
Practice explaining your project to someone (parent, friend, grandparent, etc.) This will help you be calm on Science Fair Day. The judges are very nice and will be interested in what you did and what you learned.

9. Come to the Fair and have fun! See you there!



Jack Hanna has become somewhat of a household name. Children all across the country tune in to watch his escapades in the syndicated weekly television show Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures; night owls stay up late to watch him swap jokes and show off exotic animals with David Letterman; visitors to the Columbus Zoo and other animal parks laugh and learn as he teaches them about animals and the importance of conservation. His Web site proclaims, Jack Hanna is “every person’s television zoologist.”

Hanna’s national celebrity gives him the unique ability to bring his message of animal and wildlife conservation to a broad segment of the population. He uses his frequent guest appearances on shows such as Good Morning America and Larry King Live, as well his many onsite visits to places such as Sea World of Texas, to share his enthusiasm for wildlife with a large and growing audience of both children and adults. “I’d rather entertain and hope that people learn, than teach and hope that people are entertained,” he says.

Clearly, Jack Hanna is more than just an entertainer. Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo in Ohio since 1993, he is still very involved with zoos and is a member of several conservation societies and professional associations, such as the National Alliance for Species Survival, the American Zoo & Aquarium Association, and the Explorer’s Club. Since coming to the Columbus Zoo in 1978, Hanna has worked with his staff to create a program that is both entertaining and educational, one that encourages students to become actively involved in learning about and preserving nature. He finds that a visit to the zoo, especially during a child’s early years, provides an opportunity to experience nature and to learn about the animals in a way that cannot be accomplished through books or other media. “The world is the true classroom,” he explains. “The most rewarding and important type of learning is through experience, seeing something with our own eyes. A visit to the local zoo, museum, nature center, factory, or even a business will probably stay in the student’s mind far longer than if he or she were to study about it in a book.”

A Living Classroom

The visiting of zoos, Hanna notes, is the largest family recreation activity in the United States. Last year, more than 125 million people visited the country’s 160 zoos; at the Columbus Zoo alone, at least 150,000 children came through for a visit during May, which is the month many schools choose for making field trips. The appeal for families-and for schools-lies in the fact that a trip to the zoo is both fun and educational: “A zoo is much more than a home for animals,” Hanna says. “It’s a living classroom.”

In this living classroom, the excitement that children bring involves them in learning that is multisensory and multifaceted, so that they gain a deeper appreciation for and understanding of what life is all about. Students can actually hear the low rumblings of an elephant or touch a snake’s smooth skin; they can look at the bones and teeth of a tiger and see how big they really are. “You can’t see this in books; you can’t get the atmosphere from a CD-ROM,” Hanna stresses. An example he cites is that even though a child may read about how tall a giraffe is and how it has the same number of vertebrae-seven-in its neck as a human being, the knowledge becomes much more real to that child when he or she actually sees a giraffe and realizes just how long that neck really is. Similarly, reading about the 40,000 muscles in an elephant’s trunk isn’t nearly as memorable as witnessing the versatility afforded by those muscles as the elephant picks up items as small as a kernel of corn or as giant as a one-ton log.

Focus on Learning

Even though reading books and viewing CD-ROMs can’t replace the real-life learning that goes on at the zoo, they can be used successfully in classrooms to prepare students for their visit. Hanna suggests that teachers have their students read up on whatever topic they are going to study, look on the Internet for information to supplement more conventional resources, and then write reports or essays that they can review and revise when they return to the classroom after their visit to the zoo. It is also a good idea to focus on one or two main learning topics-such as a particular group of animals or a specific adaptation, like defense mechanisms-and go over what students should look for while at the zoo. Focusing on specific learning objectives gives students clear parameters and more definite expectations. Subsequent visits can target different exhibits or topics, so that the learning process can be ongoing. “Every time children come to the zoo, they appreciate living things and learn something new about animals,” Hanna says. This applies even to himself: after 26 years, he says he still learns something new about animals every time he goes into the zoo or on safari.

Teachers should not forget some of the more practical considerations involved with a field trip to the zoo, such as stressing the types of behavior that will be expected of students while there. An important step in readying them is to make clear that they will be entering the animals’ homes and need to treat them with respect-the same kind of respect they would expect of visitors to their own homes. Students should also be oriented as to the layout of the zoo: where the restrooms are, where the first-aid station is, and where to meet for lunch. A map of the zoo would help them get their bearings.

Many zoos offer scheduled events and exhibits that teachers and parents should be aware of before taking their children on a visit. For instance, during the summer the zoo keepers will often give lectures about specific animals, such as the elephants or gorillas. Children also enjoy watching the animals eat, so finding out when feeding times are helps them learn a good deal about the animals’ feeding habits. Most zoos offer special programs, such as bird shows, especially during the spring and summer months. Hanna suggests that teachers contact their local zoo prior to their visit and ask for information on special and permanent exhibits, schedules, and pre-visit materials to review with their students.

Lessons for a Lifetime

Animals and nature aren’t the only subjects in the “curriculum” taught by a zoo: “As children get older, they learn that the zoo is part of their community,” Hanna explains. “They learn about volunteering-half of our zoo is supported by volunteers.” Visitors can also explore the variety of career choices available at a thriving zoo-contrary to popular belief, not everyone who works at the zoo is involved with animal care! There are almost 20 different careers operating in a zoo, in such fields as public relations, education, marketing, waste water treatment, landscaping, graphic design, and construction.

As children continue to make visits to the zoo and learn more about animals and conservation, Hanna notes, they become more aware of the interconnectedness and the interdependency of life. His goal is to make them aware of the importance of preserving that life, and the only way to do that is through education. He gives the example of the African elephant: in 1975 there were 1.4 million of them in the wild, and now there are less than 40,000. “The most important thing is to preserve the world we live in,” he says. “Unless people understand and learn about our world, habitats, and animals, they won’t understand that if we don’t protect those habitats, we’ll eventually destroy ourselves.”

When I had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Rob Semper, Executive Associate Director of the Exploratorium, my first order of business was to ask if that pin screen is still there (it is). Dr. Semper has been with the Exploratorium for more than 20 years, and he enjoys watching students and adults become engaged with the museum’s exhibits. The goal of the Exploratorium, and other science centers like it, Semper says, is to stimulate visitors to become active participants in their own learning. “Places like the Exploratorium are, in a sense, collections of ideas and points of view about nature as much as they are collections of objects,” he says. “In a way, they are collections of experiences. The visitor is really in charge of their visit, and what interests them is what drives their visit.”

Windows of Perception

The Exploratorium was started in 1969 at around the same time as other science centers were opening across the country. The premise behind these centers-there are now more than 200 of them-is to encourage visitors to explore nature on their own. When the Exploratorium first opened, its exhibits were mainly related to human perception, such as seeing, hearing, and touching. As it grew, the exhibits expanded to include more of the underlying science concepts involved with perception, including light, color, and sound waves. There are now more than 500 exhibits that cover nature and science, and 20 to 25 new exhibits are built each year to add to the collection. Ideas for these exhibits come from the Exploratorium’s staff of scientists and artists, but also from visiting teachers and other interested members of the public. “We’re a place not only of exhibits but of constant exploration in new ideas in science, and visitors are invited to come along with us on these journeys of exploration,” Semper says.

Each year, the Exploratorium welcomes more than 600,000 visitors, and some of the most popular exhibits with students, Semper notes, seem to be those that deal with light and color. Sample exhibits on images and light deal with the nature of light and creating images, how light gets perceived, and some aspects of animal vision. “The perceptual exhibits are big favorites because they can tell you a lot about yourself as well as what you are seeing,” he explains. “For example, not everyone sees the same thing; there is a great variation in how people see color or color differences.” One way students can physically experiment with light and color is to shine a light through a prism and different color filters and observe how the light is spread out in a colored spectrum.

This tactile interaction with the exhibits is a key element in giving students a good grasp of what goes on in science and nature. The Exploratorium is not a museum where visitors stroll past interesting objects and admire them with their hands clasped behind their backs; no, here they are expected to actively explore and work with the materials in front of them. “Our exhibits really require the visitor to do something,” says Semper. “You have to be an active participant-you manipulate things and try them out for yourself to really satisfy your own questions.” At one exhibit, for example, students can see how nerve cells work by stimulating actual nerve cells and watching the electrical response. At another, they learn about DNA by manipulating models that illustrate the double-helix construction. A staff of Explainers, mostly high school students from San Francisco, is on hand to help people interact with the exhibits, asking and answering questions. Interestingly, most of these Explainers, Semper notes, are not necessarily exemplary science students, yet after working for several months at the Exploratorium they have gained a wealth of knowledge about science and their own learning process.

Role Models of Inquiry

“The most important thing is not so much learning a particular fact or idea, but rather stimulating in students the notion of questioning, of even being interested in the first place,” Semper says. He encourages teachers to bring their classes in at the beginning of the year rather than the end because it can generate an interest and a curiosity that can help drive discussions all year long. Hands-on interaction with science and nature can give children a visible and visceral understanding that can serve as the foundation for what they learn in the more formal classroom settings.

One way teachers can help make a trip to the Exploratorium successful is to come ahead of time and visit the museum without their students to get a sense of what is there. That way, the teacher has personalized the museum to an extent and is able to offer students a base of common knowledge to familiarize them with it as well. Some teachers have even developed worksheets based on the exhibits that they can have their students use while there. When at the museum with their students, teachers should participate with them as learners, even if that means not always knowing the answers to questions. “It’s important for students to see teachers modeling the process of exploration,” Semper explains

Another possible preparatory activity is to have students make one of the exhibits in The Exploratorium Science Snackbook: Teacher-Created Versions of Exploratorium Exhibits, which is a compendium of modified exhibits that have been adapted to be less expensive and easier to create. After building some of the exhibits in the book, the students come to the museum and examine the exhibit after which their creations are modeled.

The Exploratorium offers more formal training and professional development for teachers at the K-5 level and the 6-12 level. Teachers from beyond the San Francisco Bay Area are encouraged to participate alongside local teachers in three-week-long summer workshops and follow-up activities. The K-5 program, called Institute for Inquiry, is designed primarily for professional developers and helps participants develop their skills in providing inquiry-based science professional development in their home districts. The Exploratorium Teacher Institute works with 6-12 grade teachers to develop teaching skills for science that are specific to the exhibit content at the museum.

“The exciting thing about informal education is that it can happen at almost any time, at places that are available to families, to students, and to teachers,” Semper says. “Science centers and museums are places people come to all the time; they are part of the community educational enterprise that can be used in many different ways. People come here with a well-developed base of knowledge and ideas. But it is often the opportunities of surprise that become the key educational events.”

You might feel alone, but you’re not. Thousands of freshmen and first-year graduate students have faced the same decisions and questions you’re facing now. We talked to them and asked for their advice so that you can make the most of your new life.

Communicating on the Cheap

Those “1-800″ collect call commercials may be cute, but don’t be fooled. Calling collect is a great deal for you, but it can turn family and friends against you when they get the bill. But fear not–there are plenty of inexpensive ways to communicate with friends and family back home

E-mail and Beyond

Free computers and free Internet access are two of the best perks you get as a college student. Use e-mail often. It’s free. Add a few basic peripherals and you can send more than text to friends and family. Take advantage of microphones and scanners to send voice greetings or pictures to the folks back home.

Chat

If you don’t mind typing but hate waiting for people to respond to your e-mail, then instant messaging or real-time chat is for you. There’s free instant messaging software and chat clients out there for you to download, from the ubiquitous Yahoo messenger to MSN Messenger to ICQ. Some of these programs include chats that let you talk to old friends or make new ones. It’s 100% free whether you’re talking to your cousin in Canada or your boyfriend studying abroad in Belgium. Just remember that the people you want to talk to will need to download the free software and register with the chat service.

Internet Long Distance

If you’ve just got to hear the sound of your best friend’s voice back home, there is another potentially free Internet option for you. Internet Phones offer all the back-and-forth banter of a regular phone call for virtually none of the price. PC-to-PC Internet telephone service providers can route calls directly onto the Internet for free. PC-to-Phone operators like www.tuitalk.com t and israelnewsagency.com charge a fee that usually beats regular telephone rates.

This option takes a little more effort. You’ll need your own computer with microphone and sound card. You’ll also need to decide what kind of Internet phone service you need (PC-to-PC or PC-to-Phone), select a provider, and download the necessary software. Also, reception may vary. But who needs to hear a pin drop when you’re talking cross-country for free?

Calling on the Competition

If you live off-campus or can choose your long-distance provider, you’re in luck. Competition has brought long distance rates way down – as low as five cents a minute with many plans. Use the cool (and free!) WebPricer from the Telecommunications Research and Action Center to figure out which long distance plan will save you the most based on who you call and when. You may find that calling isn’t that expensive after all, as long as you keep an eye on the clock and don’t ramble.

The Old Fashioned Way

If all else fails, there’s always the nearly lost art of letter writing. For a flat rate of 33 cents, you can go on and on and on. Well, not too long, or you’ll have to smack on another stamp. Even if you’re happy with your daily e-mail missives to friends and Sunday afternoon 5-cents-a-minute calls to mom, nothing beats writing a good old-fashioned letter or-better yet-the joy of seeing one waiting for you in your mailbox.

Preparing for Class

Preparing for Class

Starting your first year of law school? The graduate school experience can be quite different from what you were used to as an undergrad. Knowing what to expect can make things a lot easier. This article, part of the Law First Year Survival Guide, will tell you what to expect as you head into class.

Civics and Government

Standard 1: Students will understand and be able to explain the purposes and structure of governments with an emphasis on constitutional governments. To achieve this standard, the learner will:

• Be aware the laws and rules we follow are decided by the people (school, community, country).
• Recognize the need for rules for daily living and fair treatment of others.
• Understand why families need rules.
• Be aware that every community has some form of government.

Standard 2: Students will be able to analyze, interpret, and evaluate the rights, responsibilities, and privileges of citizens living in a democratic society. To achieve this standard, the learner will:

• Recognize that a person born into a country is a citizen of that country.
• Develop an understanding of citizenship responsibilities.
• Explain how community laws determine individuals’ rights and responsibilities.

Standard 3: Students will analyze the United States Constitution in principle and practice, describing the republican form of government it creates. To achieve this standard, the learner will:

• Describe what the United States Constitution is and why it is important.
• Understand the difference between enforcing the laws and making them.

Standard 4: Students will be able to explain the extent to which Americans have incorporated the principles of the Constitution into their daily lives. To achieve this standard, the learner will:

• Explain that people in neighborhoods are interdependent and respect others’ rights and property.
• Develop a respect for rules and authority and accept individual responsibility.

Standard 5: Students will gain knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to become contributing citizens in our participatory democracy. To achieve this standard, the learner will:

• Understand cooperation is necessary when working within large and small groups to complete tasks.
• Demonstrate the ability to share and give opinions in a group.
• Discuss rules of safety including signs and signals.
• Recognize important sites and symbols of our state and country.

History

Standard 1: Students will exhibit a knowledge of history identifying and describing major events, people, and trends. To achieve this standard, the learner will:

• Know individuals have a personal history.
• Recognize each family has a heritage.
• Compare how our country has changed from the first settlements to the present.

Standard 2: Students will analyze a variety of primary source materials. To achieve this standard, the learner will:

• Develop a sense of personal history through the collection and interpretation of family photos
• and stories.

Standard 3: Students will address historical events and trends in order to interpret historical information and put it in the context of past, present, and future. To achieve this standard, the learner will:

• Recognize that things change over time.
• Describe personal changes over time, such as those related to physical development,
• personal interests, and family structures.
• Be aware schools have changed through the years.
• Review how laws have changed as communities have changed.
• Explore the roles of the first groups of settlers in this country.

Standard 4: Students will exhibit an understanding of the dynamic interaction between human events and the state, region, or country in which they occur. To achieve this standard, the learner will:

• Recognize neighborhoods began at a certain point in time and change in composition over time.
• Explain the impact other cultures have had upon the history of the United States.

Geography

Standard 1: Students will be able to use maps, globes, and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective. To achieve this standard, the learner will:

• Know individuals have a space.
• Develop a spatial relationship of home to school.
• Describe personal connections to place, especially as associated with immediate surroundings.
• Understand what a globe and map represent.
• Interpret the use of symbols to represent places on graphs and maps.
• Locate directions on a globe or map.

Standard 2: Students will demonstrate a basic geographic knowledge through identifying and locating major physical and political features on globes and maps. To achieve this standard, the learner will:

• Identify how land masses and bodies of water are represented on globes and maps.
• Locate the United States and Tennessee on a map and globe.
• Locate the continents and oceans on a map and globe.

Standard 3: Students will identify and show an understanding of the major physical characteristics of places and regions of the world. To achieve this standard, the learner will:

• Know different aspects of the environment-land forms, water, natural and man-made features.

Standard 4: Students will identify and demonstrate an understanding of the cultures and human patterns of places and regions of the world. To achieve this standard, the learner will:

• Describe how geography affected early settlements.
• Be aware that the ways people use environmental resources are determined by their culture.

Standard 5: Students will exhibit an understanding of the dynamic interaction between human and physical systems around the world. To achieve this standard, the learner will:

• Know land and water forms affect types of transportation.
• Know individuals live in an environment and environments differ.
• Understand people need shelter and shelters differ according to culture and environment.
• Be aware of jobs related to working with and protecting the environment.

Economics

Standard 1: Students will gain an understanding of fundamental economic concepts and their application to a variety of economic systems. To achieve this standard, the learner will:

• Recognize that people work to satisfy needs and wants by doing different jobs.
• Define the terms “goods” and “services” and understand how they are produced and provided.
• Compare and contrast various cultures with regard to food, clothing, homes, families and
• modes of transportation.

Standard 2: Students will gain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to function effectively in a technologically expanding global economy. To achieve this standard, the learner will:

• Compare and contrast jobs in different communities.
• Explore the worldwide exchange of goods and services through imports and exports.
• Explain the necessity of importing resources needed for industry.
• Discuss how communities around the world are interdependent.

Standard 3: Students will gain an understanding of the potential costs and benefits of individual economic choices in a market economy (Microeconomics). To achieve this standard, the learner will:

• Recognize the importance of all jobs and the interdependence of many jobs.
• Explain how taxes are collected within communities to provide services for citizens.
• Identify the roles of service workers in neighborhoods.

Standard 4: Students will gain an understanding of the roles and interaction of individuals, businesses, and the government in a market economy (Macroeconomics). To achieve this standard, the learner will:

• Explain how the type of work needed is often dependent upon the environment.
• Explain how taxes are collected and utilized at the national level.