From Your Home to NEPAL Grade Levels: K-12 Overview Geography has a great impact on education and sustainability. This activity invites students to explore Nepal in comparison to their home country so that they may better understand, and perhaps appreciate, each country s unique cultural and physical geographies. People of different religions and cultures live side by side in almost every part of the world, and most of us have overlapping identities which unite us with very different groups. We can love what we are, without hating what and who we are not. We can thrive in our own tradition, even as we learn from others, and come to respect their teachings. Kofi Annan, Former Secretary-General of the United Nation ACTIVITY 1. Students can work individually, in partners, or in small groups, depending on your learning context and time constraints. 2. Have students locate their country on a map of the world. Have students locate Nepal on a map of the world. 3. Ask students to make predictions about the similarities and differences between the geographies of their country and those of Nepal. Record predictions. 4. Next, students will access and collect geographic data on both countries. Students should compare both physical and cultural geographies. Comparing Countries worksheets are available for note taking. Data resource suggestions are listed below. 5. Once data has been collected, students should analyze, compare, and contrast the data between Nepal and their home country. Analysis products can include any of the following activities: Write 3+ sentences comparing the countries Write a comparison/contrast essay Construct a Venn diagram (or other graphic organizer) to highlight similarities and differences between the countries Draft 3 quiz/trivia questions-and-answers and submit for inclusion in a class quiz Create a digital presentation on the two countries and share with younger students (Google presentations, Powerpoint, Prezi, Keynote ) www.earthducation.com Expedition 6: Nepal Page 1 of 6
Resource Suggestions Google Maps: http://maps.google.com/ Nepal Statistics: http://cbs.gov.np/ 6. After analysis is complete, discuss the following questions with students. Revisit the predictions made about similarities and differences between the two countries at the beginning of this activity. Were they accurate? Any surprises? What do you have in common with students your age in Nepal? What do you like best/least about living in your country? What do you think you would like best/least about living in Nepal? What do you still want to learn about Nepal? Show World (interactive map that resizes countries based on their data relative to a particular topic - CO2 emissions, illiteracy rates, number of Internet users, etc. You can view data, map graphics as well as request that an Excel file be emailed to you download a copy of the map visual): http:// show.mappingworlds.com/world/ CIA World Factbook (maps and statistics): https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/ FactMonster: http://www.factmonster.com Extensions Create an imaginary FaceBook profile for a young adult living in Nepal. Create a photo essay or video comparing students hometown and country compared to Nepal (Apple imovie or Windows Movie Maker or Photo Story ). Additional Resources Venn diagram template: http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/venn.pdf Graphic organizer templates: http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/graphic_org/venn_diagrams/ Page 2 of 6 Expedition 6: Nepal www.earthducation.com
Comparing countries worksheet: cultural geography Cultural Geography Components Population / Culture(s) Capital city / Major cities Government Currency Literacy rates / Education Language(s) www.earthducation.com EARTHDUCATION Expedition 6: Nepal Page 3 of 6
Cultural Geography Components Religion(s) Agriculture / Industry Foods Social / Entertainment Flag Page 4 of 6 EARTHDUCATION Expedition 6: Nepal www.earthducation.com
Comparing countries worksheet: Physical geography Physical Geography Components Latitude / Longitude Continent Water Resources (rivers, oceans) Climate / Average temperatures Natural Resources Environmental Concerns www.earthducation.com EARTHDUCATION Expedition 6: Nepal Page 5 of 6
Physical Geography Components Page 6 of 6 EARTHDUCATION Expedition 6: Nepal www.earthducation.com