2012 geography bowl these two sets of slides are designed to help you think like a national...

2012 Geography BowlThese two sets of slides are designed to help you

think like a National Geographer and increase your knowledge of the big world out there. Working with these questions each day will improve your chances to participate in this year’s District-wide Geography

Bowl.

Here are some daily “Do Now” questions, along with some ideas about how to use clues in the question to find the answer. The key is to consider the context and think through to what answer makes most sense.

Try to visualize a map of the United States in your head. “Mental Mapping” is a tool in studying geography, and it helps prevent getting lost!

Which state has areas that are prone to

avalanches—Colorado or Kansas?

The word “avalanches” is the clue here. Knowing that an avalanches are moving

masses of snow that occur in high mountains. Kansas is flat. The Rocky Mountains cover the western half of

Colorado, so you correctly answer Colorado.

How do you get to the answer?

Again, try to visualize a map of the United States in your head. Now, think where the weather tends to be cold and where the weather tends to be warm.

Which state has a climate suitable for growing citrus fruits

—California or Maine?

You know that oranges and grapefruit are citrus fruits and that they grow in

warm places. Since California’s climate is definitely warmer and sunnier than

Maine’s, you correctly answer California.


Keep that map of the United States in your head and visualize the location of the Great Lakes.

Which state borders two of the Great

Lakes—New York or Delaware?

Using your “mental map” of the U.S., you know that Delaware is on the East Coast. You visualize the Great Lakes toward the middle of the country. New York is a big

state that extends much farther than Delaware. New York State borders Lake

Erie and Lake Ontario.


We’re still considering the United States, so pull up your mental map, and get ready to make some comparison.

Which state has a larger Hispanic

population in terms of numbers---California or

Wisconsin?


You know that many Hispanic people speak Spanish as their first language. You are probably aware that most Hispanic

people in the U.S. come into the country from Mexico, a country that borders

California. This is your major geographical clue. Thinking about place names in both

Wisconsin and California, you realize many California cities have Spanish names, like

San Diego and Los Angeles. So you correctly answer California.

Visualize a weather map of the United States, think about weather patterns and be ready for a comparison about weather.

Which state is more likely to experience a

blizzard---Idaho or Arkansas?

You know a blizzard is a snow storm. Using your mental map, you know Idaho is way north, near Canada, where there’s

lots of snow in the winter. You know Arkansas is in the south, not far from the Gulf of Mexico, where it seldom snows.

You know the answer must be Idaho.


Think, again, about the U.S., but now think about elevation and be ready for one more comparison.

Which city is located closer to sea level---

Denver or Los Angeles?

You know that Los Angeles is a city on the Pacific Coast of California and you

remember Denver is high up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, so you

figure Los Angeles must be closer to sea level than Denver, and it is!


Another type of Geography Bee question is called, “Odd One Out,” like Sesame Street’s “Which one doesn’t belong with the other two?”

Which country does not border the Atlantic Ocean--- Mauritania,

Cameroon, or Tanzania?

Drawing on your “mental map” of Africa, you know that the Atlantic Ocean

borders the west coast where Mauritania and Cameroon are located,

while the Indian Ocean borders the east coast where Tanzania is. So you correctly

answer, Tanzania.


Here’s another “Odd One Out.” “Which one doesn’t belong with the other two?”

Which country does not have land in the

subarctic climate zone—France, Finland, or

Sweden?

You know the arctic is cold. Using your mental map of Europe, you picture

Finland and Sweden further north than France. And France borders the

Mediterranean Sea, where it’s much warmer. So France must be the “odd one

out.”


Here’s one last, “Odd One Out.” “Which one doesn’t belong with the other two?”

Which country is not located in the Caribbean---

Bahamas, Seychelles, or Barbados?

Thinking about all the countries in the Caribbean, you probably recognize Bahamas and Barbados. Where is Seychelles? Not in the Caribbean!


Peoples’ cultures are important in studying geography. Here’s a question that connects culture and geography.

Spices such as cinnamon, cumin, chili, and turmeric

have been used not only as flavoring but also as

medicine in South Asia’s largest country. Name this

country.

From any study of a map of Asia, you know that South Asia is usually

considered to include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan. A quick

check of your “mental map” tells you which is the largest, so you correctly

answer India.


Peoples’ cultures are important in studying geography. Today’s question again connects culture and geography.

Which country has the world’s largest

Muslim population—Indonesia or Mexico?

You might think that Mexico was settled by the Spanish who were Roman Catholic Christians, not Muslims. So the correct

answer must be Indonesia.


Peoples’ cultures are important in studying geography. Here’s one more question that connects culture and geography.

The samba, which was originally brought from

Africa, is a dance that was adapted and is highly

popular on which other continent?

You may associate the samba more with Hispanic culture than African, certainly not Anglo! Africans were enslaved and

brought to both North and South America. The Hispanic culture of South America makes this continent the best

choice.


There are seven continents: Antarctica; Africa; Asia; Australia; Europe; North America; and South America. The following question asks you to match the question with the correct continent. Think globally!

Scientists believe that about 120 million years

ago, South America began to break away

from which other continent?

Your first clue may be visualizing how South America and Africa could fit

together like pieces in a jig-saw puzzle. From learning about plate tectonics ,

studying the shapes of continents and their positions in relationship to each

other, you correctly answer Africa.


Which continent produces the largest total amount of rice?

Your clues here are rice and population. You probably associate rice with Chinese

and Indian food. You also realize that China and India have really large

populations. You correctly figure that Asia would produce the largest amount of

rice!


The Middle East serves as a

crossroads between Asia, Africa, and what

other continent?

Your clue is visualizing the eastern Mediterranean Sea, where you see the

northeast corner of Africa touching western Asia, and to north you see

Europe.


Physical Geography deals with the shape of the land and geographical features, like mountains, valleys, and coastlines. Here’s a question that relates to Physical Geography.

What is the term for a part of an ocean or sea

that cuts far into the bordering landmass and may contain one or more

bays?

Your clue here is where water cuts into a landmass; that’s a coastline and bays are part of a coastline. You also know that a bay is like a gulf. Since the word “bay” is

used in the question, you eliminate it as a possibility and correctly answer gulf.


Physical Geography deals with the shape of the land and geographical features, like mountains, valleys, and coastlines. Here’s another question that relates to Physical Geography.

The study of the processes in Earth’s

atmosphere that produce day-to-day weather is

called what?

The clues are “study” and “day-to-day weather.” You may know that when a word ends in “-ology,” like geology, it means the study of something. When

you check the weather on T.V. or radio, you usually get introduced to a “chief

meteorologist…” From all this, you can figure out what meteorology is, the

study of the weather.


Physical Geography deals with the shape of the land and geographical features, like mountains, valleys, and coastlines. Here’s another question that relates to Physical Geography.

What term is used for the often triangular-shaped

deposit of sediment sometimes found at the

mouth of a river.

You may have studied ancient Egypt and know the longest river in Africa is the Nile and visualize the triangle-shaped area at its mouth, called the Nile Delta. You may

also remember the mouth of the Mississippi River is an important area in American culture, called, the Mississippi

Delta. So the answer must be delta.


World Geography draws upon your general knowledge of the world. There’s a lot of information to draw from. This kind of question is not easy, but often you can follow clues to get to the right answer.

The Vistula River and Bialowieza National Park—northern Europe’s largest area of virgin forest and home to the European

bison---are in which country?

Here is where you might want to ask the moderator to spell a word. The spelling and the pronunciation are clues to the

country. You know it’s in northern Europe. You may know the location of the Vistula River. From the sounds of the names and the northern European location, you can correctly identify the country as Poland.


Which Canadian province produces

more than half of the country’s

manufactured goods?

Using your “mental map” of North America and New England’s closeness to Canada, you figure that Ontario borders all the Great Lakes and has access to the

St. Lawrence Seaway. This puts it in a better position than any other Canadian

province for manufacturing and exporting goods. So you correctly answer Ontario.


The Gaza Strip and the West Bank are territories bordering what country on the Mediterranean

coast of the Middle East, or Southwest Asia?

With this question it is helpful to be up on current events in the news. You’ve

probably heard these two territories mentioned in relationship to the country

of Israel, and that’s the answer!


Here’s a “grab-bag” question.

The North Atlantic Ocean current brings warm

waters from the tropical Caribbean Sea to the west coast of which continent?

From studying physical maps you know that the North Atlantic is the area of the

Atlantic Ocean that lies north of the Equator and that the entire west coast of Europe borders the North Atlantic, so you

correctly answer Europe.


Here’s another “grab-bag” question.

To visit the ruins of Persepolis, the ancient ceremonial capital of Persia, you would have to travel to what present-day country?

From the news, you may know the location of the Persian Gulf. This strategic

gulf gets its name from the ancient country to the north, which is now Iran.


Here’s one last “grab-bag” question.

Back in the USA, which state is made

up of eight main islands---Hawaii or

Rhode Island?

This may look at first like a trick question, but most of Rhode Island isn’t islands.

Hawaii is the state made up of eight main islands.


In final rounds of a Geo Bee competition, students are often asked questions based on their on-the-spot reading of a map. Here’s a map of the U.S. and a question.

Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama,

and Florida border what body of water?

First you have to locate the states, using their abbreviations. Once you have done that the Gulf of Mexico touches all five of

them. It’s the Gulf of Mexico.


What is the northernmost city shown on the west coast of this map?


Drawing upon you knowledge of the cardinal directions, you move your eye west and north and identify Seattle as the correct answer.

What three island nations are located southeast of the United States of America?


Again, knowing the cardinal directions and knowing what an island is, your correctly identify the three island nations as Cuba, Jamaica and Haiti.

2012 geography bowl these two sets of slides are designed to help you think like a national...

Documents

weather map

united states

big state

california cities

weather patterns

hispanic people

mental mapping

great lakesnew york