Geography as a Factor of Diversity

Why does it matter?

• Our Identities as people are tied to it
• It provided a cultural context for living
• It impacts our economic life
• It determines how we relax and enjoy life

North America

• Three out of four people live in the northern hemisphere
• North America is culturally diverse due to immigration
• Resource rich
• Great deal of economic development
• Technology rich
• Oriented to a global economy

The South

• 12 Southeastern states
• Historically cultivated subtropical crops
• Slaver, plantation economy
• many subregions
• Creolization culture - mixing many
• Higher numbers of African-American heritage
• Income lower
• Schools poorer
• Religion important

Appalachia

• Parts of many states along the Appalachian Mountain chain
• Historically impoverished area
• Twentieth century government projects brought some change to the area
• Coal an essential resource
• People stereotyped as hillbillies d
• Primarily rural
• Predominantly white
• Education historically poor - few exceptions Berea College

New England & Mid Atlantic

• Earliest site of European immigrants
• Inhabited by political and relifious dissidents
• Protestant work ethic
• Fishing logging, industries, some mixed agricultural systems
• Less racially diverse
• Atlantic coast important for commerce and tourism
• High educational statistics, colonial colleges

Great Plains and Midwest

• The Breadbasket
• Some of the flattest land on earth
• German, English, Scottish and Irish immigrants from East
• Great seasonal changes and extreme weather
• Very rural with few large cities
• This huge area holds less than 6% of the nations population
• Midwest has greater diversity
• Education, solid- highest high school graduation rate

Southwest

• Mexican and American Indian cultural influence
• Formerly part of Mexico
• Continual border issues
• Large percentage of the population has noneuropean heritage
• Younger population
• Most live in metropolitan areas
• Bilingual education is an ongoing debate

West

• Mexicans, Catholics, American Indians as original inhabitants
• Gold rush brought in Chinese laborers
• One in five Americans live here
• California has largest population overall, second larges city, LA
• Most divers part of the US
• Catholic mission schools established by Spanish priests

Geography and Educational Issues

• Half the world's population lives in megacities with greatcontradictions
• Great worldwide migrations and immigrations
• Migration in the US from city to rural
• by 2010 60% of US population lives in the South and West (California, Florida, Texas)
• Population in Northeast and Midwest is getting older
• The world economic structure is intricately linked
• Environmental concerns are a growing issue - the US is a major culprit
• Indigenous people currently live on some richest natural resource areas - they face extinction

Incorporating Global Perspectives

• Understand how global connections impact their lives
• How can you integrate world events?
• Lessons on manufacturing - child labor laws
• Influence of music
• Perspectives of other people, classes
• Indigenous people and the environment
• Email pen pals around the world
• Travel