Lesson 2
January 15, 2015
Thu, Jan 15
Review:
- Subscribe or get access to Economist, WSJ
- Guns, Germs and Steel Part 1 – Viewing Guide
- Press Conference
- Top Story:
- Other news items?
Presentation:
Jared Diamond’s theories on economic development presented in Guns, Germs & Steel
- Not much economic disparity during Hunter-Gatherer times
- Agricultural Revolution in the Fertile Crescent
- Why the fertile crescent? Wheat, Climate, Livestock
- John Green video on the Agricultural Revolution
- Food Surplus allowed specialization and technology development
- Farming, animal domestication, steel, weapons
- Imagine the transition from hunter to farmer to technologist
- Geographic dissemination
- Eurasia facilitated dissemination in comparable climates
- Not so in Americas, Africa
- Fertile Crescent was a “hot spot”
- Why?
- Where are other hot spots through history?
- Where are the hot spots today?
- Criticism
- Geographic Determinism
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Churchill_Semple
- Niall Ferguson
Assignment:
- Complete world geography assessment (in class)
- Watch Niall Ferguson’s TED Talk
- Read the Economist and WSJ
- Think about a term project theme: Place, Industry, Company/Organization/People