Geography for Kids

Geography for Kids ThoughtCo includes a large collection of resources that are appropriate for children. This article provides easy access to the best of our resources for kids who are aspiring geographers, have a geography quiz coming up at school, or are part of a bee. Geography 101 As a starting point, Geography 101 provides a bunch of information about geography with links to articles all over ThoughtCo. Among others, youll find information on these topics: The definition of geography.The history of geography.The different branches and divisions of geography.Information on studying geography and working as a geographer. Preparing for the Geography Bee The National Geography Bee is for kids in the fourth through eighth grade. Kids can learn about the Bee and how to prepare. If your school is one of the 1,000 that participate in the Geography Bee, the information and links in this article can help your students prepare. All About Geography This article teaches kids some of the important basics of geography and answers questions such as these: What is geography?How does geography differ from geology?What do geographers do?How does one become a geographer? Basic Earth Facts This page for kids includes a listing of fun facts about the planet earth such as these: The size of the earth.The number of countries on our planet.The highest and lowest points on the surface of the earth.The age of the earth.And, more... Geography Quiz Think youre a geography expert? While this quiz might be a challenge to most kids, the true geographic fanatic will appreciate the challenge. Both kids and adults will test the depth of their geographic knowledge with these fifteen questions. U.S. State Capitals This is a great resource for kids who need to memorize the United States state capitals for their geography class. From Juneau (Alaska) to Augusta (Maine), youll find every capital along with population, education, and income information for each city.   Capitals of Every Country This listing is a great reference for kids studying the countries in geography class. Did you know that Yerevan is the capital of Armenia or that Paramaribo is the capital of Suriname? This article can help you brush up on your knowledge of important world cities. All About Physical Geography Physical geography is the branch of the science with which most people are familiar. It includes the study of  climates, flora, and fauna, the atmosphere, landscape features, erosion, and more. This article gives an overview of the physical geography and provides numerous links to further information. All About Cultural Geography Geography isnt all about mountains, bodies of water, and other physical features of the earth. With this article, youll learn about the human side of geography. Youll learn how languages, economics, governmental structures, and even the arts are connected to the physical features of our world. We hope these resources help you and your kids learn geography. Enjoy!

The Domestication of Maize in America

The Domestication of Maize in America Maize (Zea mays) is a plant of enormous modern-day economic importance as foodstuff and alternative energy source. Scholars agree that maize was domesticated from the plant teosinte (Zea mays spp. parviglumis) in central America at least as early 9,000 years ago. In the Americas, maize is called corn, somewhat confusingly for the rest of the English-speaking world, where corn refers to the seeds of any grain, including barley, wheat or rye. The process of maize domestication radically changed it from its origins. The seeds of wild teosinte are encased in hard shells and arranged on a spike with five to seven rows, a spike that shatters when the grain is ripe to disperse its seed. Modern maize has hundreds of exposed kernels attached to a cob which is completely covered by husks and so cannot reproduce on its own. The morphological change is among the most divergent of speciation known on the planet, and it is only recent genetic studies that have proven the connection. The earliest undisputed domesticated maize cobs are from Guila Naquitz cave in Guerrero, Mexico, dated about 4280-4210 cal BC. The earliest starch grains from domesticated maize have been found in the Xihuatoxtla Shelter, in the Rio Balsas valley of Guerrero, dated to ~9,000 cal BP. Theories of Maize Domestication Scientists have put forward two main theories about the rise of maize. The teosinte model argues that maize is a genetic mutation direct from teosinte in the lowlands of Guatemala. The hybrid origin model states that maize originated in the Mexican highlands as a hybrid of diploid perennial teosinte and early-stage domesticated maize. Eubanks has suggested a parallel development within the Mesoamerican interaction sphere between lowland and highland. Recently starch grain evidence has been discovered in Panama suggesting the use of maize there by 7800-7000 cal BP, and the discovery of wild teosinte growing in the Balsas river region of Mexico has lent support to that model. The Xihuatoxtla rockshelter in the Balsas river region reported in 2009 was discovered to contain domesticated maize starch granules in occupation levels dated to the Paleoindian period, more than 8990 cal BP. That suggests that maize may have been domesticated by hunter-gatherers thousands of years before it became a staple of peoples diets. The Spread of Maize Eventually, maize spread out from Mexico, probably by the diffusion of seeds along trade networks rather than migration of people. It was used in the southwestern United States by about 3,200 years ago, and in the eastern United States beginning about 2,100 years ago. By 700 AD, maize was well established up into the Canadian shield. DNA studies suggest that purposeful selection for various traits continued throughout this period, leading to the wide variety of species today. For example, 35 different races of maize have been identified in pre-Columbian Peru, including popcorns, flint varieties, and varieties for specific uses, such as chicha beer, textile dyes, and flour. Agricultural Traditions As maize was spread outside of its roots in central America, it became part of already existing agricultural traditions, such as the Eastern Agricultural complex, which included pumpkin (Cucurbita sp), chenopodium and sunflower (Helianthus). The earliest direct-dated maize in the northeast is the 399–208 cal BC, in the Finger Lakes region of New York, at the Vinette site. Other early appearances are Meadowcroft Rockshelter Archaeological Sites Important to Maize Archaeological sites of importance to the discussion of maize domestication include Central America:  Ã‚  Xihuatoxtla Shelter  (Guerrero, Mexico), Guila Naquitz (Oaxaca, Mexico) and  Coxcatlan Cave  (Tehuacan, Mexico)Southwest USA:  Bat Cave  (New Mexico),  Gatecliff Shelter  (Nevada)Midwest USA: Newt Kash Hollow (Tennesee)Northeast USA: Vinette (New York), Schultz (Michigan), Meadowcroft (Pennsylvania) Some Recent Maize Studies This glossary entry is a part of the About.com Guide to  Plant  Domestications,  and part of the  Dictionary of Archaeology. Carpenter Slavens J, and Snchez G. 2013.  Los cambios ambientales del Holoceno Medio/ Holoceno Tardà ­o en el desierto de Sonora y sus implicaciones en la diversificacià ³n del Yuto-aztecano y la difusià ³n del maà ­z.  Dilogo Andino  41:199-210. Ellwood EC, Scott MP, Lipe WD, Matson RG, and Jones JG. 2013.  Stone-boiling maize with limestone: experimental results and implications for nutrition among SE Utah preceramic groups.  Journal of Archaeological Science  40(1):35-44. Freeman, Jacob. Crop Specialization, Exchange and Robustness in a Semi-arid Environment. Human Ecology, John M. Anderies, Andrea Torvinen, et al., Volume 42, Issue 2, SpringerLink, January 29, 2014. Gil AF, Villalba R, Ugan A, Cortegoso V, Neme G, Michieli CT, Novellino P, and Durn V. 2014.  Isotopic evidence on human bone for declining maize consumption during the little ice age in central western Argentina. Journal of Archaeological Science 49(0):213-227. Grimstead DN, Buck SM, Vierra BJ, and Benson LV. 2015.  Another possible source of archeological maize found in Chaco Canyon, NM: The Tohatchi Flats area, NM, USA.  Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports  3:181-187. Haas J, Creamer W, Huamn Mesà ­a L, Goldstein D, Reinhard KJ, and Vergel Rodrà ­guez C. 2013.  Evidence for maize (Zea mays) in the Late Archaic (3000-1800 B.C.) in the Norte Chico region of Peru.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences  110(13):4945-4949. Hart JP, and Lovis WA. 2013. Reevaluating What We Know About the Histories of Maize in Northeastern North America: A Review of Current Evidence. Journal of Archaeological Research  21(2):175-216 Killion TW. 2013.  Nonagricultural cultivation and social complexity.  Current Anthropology  54(5):596-606. Matsuda, Masahiko. Upland Farming Systems Coping with Uncertain Rainfall in the Central Dry Zone of Myanmar: How Stable is Indigenous Multiple Cropping Under Semi-Arid Conditions? Human Ecology 41, ResearchGate, December 2013. Reed PF, and Geib PR. 2013.  Sedentism, Social Change, Warfare, and the Bow in the Ancient Pueblo Southwest.  Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews  22(3):103-110. Snchez-Pà ©rez S, Solleiro-Rebolledo E, Sedov S, de Tapia EM, Golyeva A, Prado B, and Ibarra-Morales E. 2013.  The Black San Pablo Paleosol of the Teotihuacan Valley, Mexico: Pedogenesis, Fertility, and Use in Ancient Agricultural and Urban Systems.  Geoarchaeology  28(3):249-267. Shillito, Lisa-Marie. Grains of truth or transparent blindfolds? A review of current debates in archaeological phytolith analysis. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, Volume 22, Issue 1, SpringerLink, January 2013. Thompson V, Gremillion K, and Pluckhahn T. 2013.  Challenging the Evidence for Prehistoric Wetland Maize Agriculture at Fort Center, Florida.  American Antiquity  78(1):181-193. VanDerwarker A, Marcoux J, and Hollenbach K. 2013.  Farming and Foraging at the Crossroads: The Consequences of Cherokee and European Interaction Through the Late Eighteenth Century.  American Antiquity  78(1):68-88. Warinner C, Garcia NR, and Tuross N. 2013.  Maize, beans and the floral isotopic diversity of highland Oaxaca, Mexico.  Journal of Archaeological Science  40(2):868-873.

Utilitarianism on Terminating Employees versus Truthful Environmental Essay

Utilitarianism on Terminating Employees versus Truthful Environmental Reporting - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that a rule utilitarian might assert that the best rule is one that favors shareholder interests in the long run which entails following government policies about emission levels because doing so protects the latter’s long-term interest. A company cannot exist and will not stay long without shareholders, so their happiness matters the most in this scenario. Furthermore, thinking about their interests can also satisfy the interests of workers for having lasting jobs, so this rule is not entirely bad for the interest of the many. However, shareholder happiness must not be based on temporary goal fulfillment but on long-term interests. John Stuart Mill asserts that the quality of happiness matters in making the right decisions. He believes that humans are rational creatures who use â€Å"higher faculties† and â€Å"nobler feelings† to make the best decisions for their happiness. This case demands high-level thinking about th e long-term good of shareholders which includes not breaking laws. If the author will not publish the report and the environmental agency of the department finds out that the emission levels next year surpass the legal limits, the government will close factory operations which will detrimentally affect shareholders and employees alike.   The decision to publish the report is important in ensuring that the company will follow policies on emissions levels and find the best technology to comply with them.   A rule utilitarian might suggest going ahead and publishing the report so that the company can prepare for buying the latest technology, even if it is expensive because it will prevent future problems that will harm shareholder interest more.

Immortal Beloved (the story of Beethoven's life, with an emphasis on Essay

Immortal Beloved (the story of Beethoven's life, with an emphasis on romance - Essay Example er and life of the man whose letter contained the words of the title, Ludwig Van Beethoven, the famous composer of the late 18th/early 19th centuries. The film starts with Beethoven’s death. Schindler was his secretary and is charged with settling Beethoven’s final affairs. As he sorts through the various documents left behind, he discovers an old love letter, written in Beethoven’s hand, to someone he calls simple his ‘Immortal Beloved’. The woman is never provided with any further identification, but Schindler runs around Europe attempting to discover who this woman was. As he travels, he talks to many women who played a part in Beethoven’s life. Flashbacks from the women’s memories help to illustrate Beethoven’s life and reveal some of his brilliance, inspiration and imagination. His music provides the musical score. Through this exploration, a great deal is revealed about the composer and his times. The film portrays Beethoven as a sensitive madman, obsessed with his music and with women, in nearly equal order. As the movie is presented, it can be neatly divided into three main segments, each detailing the flashback memory of a different candidate for Beethoven’s beloved. In each one, some aspect of the composer is brought into sharper focus. While the focus of the story is on Beethoven’s love life, it also illustrates how he is also obsessed with the idea of turning his nephew Karl into his own prodigy. The battle that ensues over this child reaches epic proportions, finally forcing Countess Anna Maria Erdody to stand up against Beethoven in court. Besides this countess and Johanna, Karl’s mother, the other woman who is seen to play a big role in Beethoven’s life is Countess Giulietta Guicciardi, his patron and student. There are other women as well; making it difficult to determine just who Beethoven might have meant in his letter, but that is the point. The film, as in real life, never conclusively identifies one woman

Stress coping in people with HIV positive Essay

Stress coping in people with HIV positive - Essay Example After discussing the possible treatment and prevention approaches used in people with HIV, strategic ways on how health care professionals can enable them to cope with the psychological distress associated with the disease will be thoroughly discussed. By going through a personal reflection, the health situation will be applied in Hong Kong particularly on how the HK government is promoting safer sex practice. The fact that HIV infection is a life-threatening disease is already considered as a major source of stress among the HIV infected individuals. (Riggs, Vosvick, & Stalling, 2007) Individuals who were informed by their physicians that ‘they only have few months to live’ could negatively affect the physical functioning, psychological, social, and emotional well-being of the person. As a result, some of the HIV infected people loses their hope to be treated and cured from the disease. HIV infected individuals would tend to withdraw from their social life aside from putting an end to their relationship with their love ones (Wadland & Gleeson, 1991). In most cases, there is a strong possibility for HIV infected individuals to unconsciously use other maladaptive coping strategies including denial, disengagement, and/or abusing the use of illegal substances (Gore-Felton et al., 2006; Komiti et al., 2003). Aside from the having the thought that the life span of HIV infected individuals is already limited, it is likely that these individuals would seek medical assistance from professional medical team. Basically, the cost of treating and promoting a better quality life for HIV infected individuals can be very costly not only on the part of the HIV infected individual himself but also to his family members. In line with the high cost of medical intervention, we can consider the financial burden of becoming infected with HIV as

Effect of Csr Activities on Sales Essay Example for Free

Effect of Csr Activities on Sales Essay Reasons for this can be multinational corporations’ increasing influence on world economy as well as scandals revealing horrible working conditions in different industries. In spite of the fact that the demand for CSR is growing, there has always been critics. The most influential critic is Noble Prize winner Milton Friedman, who claims CSR to be a waste of stockholders’ money. However, several articles claim, opposite Friedman, that CSR rather increases a company’s financial performance in the long run. These claims have made us curious about in what way CSR is related to a company’s performance. Moreover, it has led to us wanting to find out how CSR can influence customer perceptions on a product or service offering. Conclusions –All the initiatives gave a positive influence on the respondents’ perceptions, but the ones resulting in the most positive changes of the perceptions and willingness to buy were social responsible business practises, cause-related marketing and corporate philanthropy, which are initiatives where the company are doing the largest effort instead of just encouraging others to make an effort. The respondents answered that they trust the companies’ information about CSR to some extent, but also think a third party should scrutinise the companies’ activities and inform. The most favourable channel for CSR information was from environmental organisations, government organisations and the third party web media. Therefore it seems like the respondents value that the companies provide information, but are not too forward and pushing the information on them by for example advertisements. Keywords : CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility, Cause promotion, Cause-related marketing, Corporate social marketing, Corporate philanthropy, Community volunteering, Social responsible business practices. Introduction: CSR is today a frequently used concept, as companies to a larger extent are held accountable for what is happening in the society. The company should also inform the stakeholders about their CSR activities in an appropriate way, in order to capitalise from all possible benefits. In order to make a trustworthy impression and gain the most benefits, the choice of CSR activity and way of communication is crucial for the company, and therefore the perceptions of the consumers are very important to know more about and understand. In the last decade tendencies towards a more social aware community have been strong. In itself these trends are nothing that is particularly new. People have always preached for problems like public health, wildlife protection, prevention of child labor etc. What is different now is that companies to a larger extent are held accountable for what is happening in our society. Companies that engage in CSR activities are likely to have different motives for doing so. Many researches claim that corporate social responsibility originally consists of activities that a company performs out of commitment and duty. However, there are also commercial motives for CSR activities. For example CSR activities may result in advantages when it comes to receiving funding, recruiting new employees, cost reductions etc. To capitalise from all possible advantages it is crucial for the company to communicate their CSR work in an appropriate way. Theoretical Framework: Types of CSR Activities: a) Cause promotion Cause promotion is often done in the way that the company provide funds, contribute financially or with any other resource, with the objective to increase awareness, support fundraising or participation, or to recruit volunteers for a specific cause. In this initiative persuasive communications are important, to create concern and to persuade people to contribute or participate to support the cause. In successful campaigns use of motivating messages and the choice of effective media channels are crucial. They also make use of publicity, printed materials, special events, web sites, advertising, featuring the logo and key message of the company and those who represent the cause. Further methods are employee involvement, messages on product labelling and to provide store space for promotions. Many of the potential benefits are marketing related, like strengthened brand positioning and preference, increased traffic and consumer loyalty.

Oedipus, The Movie Essay -- Film Oedipus the King

Oedipus, The Movie After reading the play Oedipus the King, I had various expectations related to how the movie should be performed. The stage presentation of the story fulfilled some of my expectations but failed to satisfy others. Most importantly, the performance was an accurate rendering of the play. The characters in the movie were developed effectively and were portrayed precisely as I had perceived them. I thought that the movie lacked qualities including stage design, clothing, and background music. However, these facets of the performance are insignificant because the story is so powerful that it does not need attractive costumes or ostentatious props to support it. The foundation of the play is its intriguing story and thorough development of characters. The movie was very faithful to the play; it followed the story of the book nearly verbatim. The film clarified many parts of the play that I did not fully understand. For example, I found that being able to visually identify the speaker was quite helpful in many circumstances. The movie provided a constant ...