Tuesday, July 14 - Homework #7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8v0YmYCzO0

1. According to Jared Diamond what are the next wars going to be fought over? Explain.
2. According to the video how can the problems of one country destabilize neighboring countries? Explain.
3. What unique advantage do we have that helps us respond to problems thousands of miles away that places like Somalia, Africa do not have? Explain.
4. How does globalization cut both ways? Explain using a specific example you can think of from outside the video.
5. According to Jared Diamond what is another advantage that modern countries have today that past collapsed civilizations did not have? Explain in detail.
6. With all these documented examples of how and why strong civilizations have collapsed throughout history, why have we not learned from their mistakes? Explain fully.
7. Do you think that a global collapse will happen?  Why? Why not? Take a position and support the position with 3 reasons.
8. Do you think we can change our course and make decisions that would steer us away from a collapse?  What would we need to do? Be specific.
9. What valuable lessons can be learned from this segment of the documentary?  Provide at least 3 and make sure they are different lessons than you mentioned in previous homeworks.
10. Was this documentary eye opening or an exaggeration?  Take a position and defend your position with 3 reasons supported by evidence.

Monday, July 13 - Homework #6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gemu4jEdBro

1.      Do you think there is a connection between the increase in number of movies about natural disasters and the fact that people have finally started to think more carefully about climate change? Explain.

2.      What surprise underlies the permafrost of Alaska?  How can this help the current energy crisis?

3.      How is climate change costly from an economic standpoint? Use specific details from the video.

4.      How can choices people make during years of prosperity lead to a bigger bust?

5.      Do you agree with the idea that most people have a “boom mentality” rather than a “boom and bust mentality”?  Why/ Why not? Explain in detail using examples form the video and prior knowledge.

6.      Do you think the financial crisis of 2008 was just a bump in the road or a sign of more bad things to come? Explain.

7.      Compare and contrast Rome’s economic crisis and the economic crisis of 2008.  Provide similarities and differences.

8.      Do you think the collapse of Rome was inevitable (unavoidable) or avoidable? Support your claim with 3 reasons and evidence from this video and the other video that referenced Rome.

9.      Do you think our civilization will dissolve into the same violence and chaos that Rome did? Explain in detail.

10.  What valuable lessons can be learned from this segment of the documentary?  Provide at least 3 and make sure they are different lessons than you mentioned in previous homeworks.

Friday, July 9 - Homework #5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-9jVolnSco

1.      How has the combination of overgrazing and intensive agriculture negatively impacted China? Explain in detail.

2.      How is China caught in a vice grip of competing choices? Explain in detail.

3.      How have modern countries “cheated nature” since the 1950s? What were the positive results? Explain.

4.      How can the modernization of food production also lead to a crisis in food production? Explain using cause and effect.

5.      Explain how problems like food production, the energy crisis and the water crisis are all connected to each other.

6.      Why is food one of the quickest triggers for collapse? Explain using specific details from the video.

7.      What are some solutions that Jared Diamond proposes to stem the food crisis?

8.      What is the dangerous catalyst that made the other crises we have discussed spiral out of control?

9.      Why do you think people do not take climate change seriously? Explain.

10.  What valuable lessons can be learned from this segment of the documentary?  Provide at least 3 and make sure they are different lessons than you mentioned in previous homeworks.

Thursday, June 9 - Homework #4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=965oJ3s3udQ

1.      Define renewable energy.  According to the expert what is the price of converting to solar and wind energy?

2.      What energy option would provide more “bang for the buck”?  Why are people reluctant to use it?

3.      Why does a solution to the energy crisis require top down and bottom up solutions? Explain,

4.      How is plaster connected to the collapse of the Mayan civilization? Explain in detail.

5.      Explain how the Mayans were “victims of their own success”?

6.      How does the Mayan collapse connect to the modern day energy crisis?

7.      The Mayan expert says, “The escalation of warfare is a symptom and not a cause”.  Do you agree/ disagree with this claim?  Support your answer using 3 reasons.

8.      Based on the information provided in the documentary, what do you think the kings were thinking as the Mayan civilization was collapsing.

9.      Do you think the collapse of the Mayans was inevitable (unavoidable) or avoidable? Support your claim with 3 reasons and evidence from the video.

10.  What valuable lessons can be learned from this segment of the documentary?  Provide at least 3 and make sure they are different lessons than you mentioned in previous homeworks.

Wednesday June 8 - Homework #3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-0FOCbmVS4 

1.      Why does the documentary compare the Roman Empire and the Mayan Civilization?

2.      Do you think our civilization is so consumed with the spoils of our success that we cannot see the dangers right in front of us? Take a position and defend your position using 3 reasons supported with specific evidence.

3.      How has the rapid growth of our transportation and technology increased the likelihood of a collapse?  Explain in detail using cause and effect.

4.      How is the abandoned power plant a metaphor for a modern civilization today? Identify and explain the connections.

5.      How did Rome’s appetite for expansion ultimately lead to its’ collapse? Explain using cause and effect.

6.      How is the world’s energy crisis like Rome’s energy crisis? Explain using compare and contrast.

7.      According to Jared Diamond, what does it take to solve our energy crisis?

8.      What is nature’s oldest and most powerful energy source?  Why do you think modernized countries did not make attempts to harness this energy sooner? Explain.

9.      What information you learned from this segment surprised you the most? What information surprised you the least? Explain

10.  What valuable lessons can be learned from this segment of the documentary?  Provide at least 3 and make sure they are different lessons than you mentioned in previous homeworks.

Tuesday, June 7 - Homework #2

Collapse (Part 2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVM31YRQWvg&index=2&list=PL6E071ECA1AB77BC9

1.      According to the video what are the possible reasons that Phoenix collapsed? Provide at least 3 possible reasons.

2.      According the video what was the key to Phoenix’s expansion.  Explain using cause and effect.

3.      Daniel Gilbert said that one of the most curious things about humans is their ability to look into the future, foresee disaster and do nothing to prevent it.  Do you agree or disagree with this claim? Provide 3 reasons and supporting evidence to support your claim.

4.      How does the Los Angeles (LA) River represent and example of the dilemma of LA’s future water supply?

5.      How has drought and increasing competition resulted in farmers having to make some painful decisions. Be specific using details from the video.

6.      What is “blue gold”? To what extent is farming for blue gold bringing LA closer to a collapse?

7.      Around the world how is competition over water causing trouble are you surprised by this? Why/ Why not? Explain.

8.      According to Jared Diamond what is the “silver lining” to the water crisis? Be specific.

9.      Do you think actions like the ones taken by LA are enough to stem the water crisis? Explain why/ why not in detail.

10.  What valuable lessons can be learned from this segment of the documentary? Provide at least 3.

Monday, June 6 - Homework #1

Directions: (Assignment must be posted by Tuesday, June 7, at 8:00AM)

1) Watch the video, click on the link or cut and paste the link into web browser.

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdBSWjxKJOE&index=1&list=PL6E071ECA1AB77BC9

2) Watch Collapse (Part 1) - 14 mins 10 secs

3) Reply to the post and answer the questions below.

1.      From what/ who’s perspective is the documentary told? Provide specific evidence from video that supports your answer.

2.      How can ruins help scientists determine why a civilization collapsed?  Explain and be specific with at least 3 different ways.

3.      What is the connection between the potential success or collapse of a society and the decisions that they make?  Be specific and use examples from the video and your prior knowledge.

4.      Many experts agree that our modern industrialized nation could fall apart.  Do you agree or disagree with this claim? Explain using 3 different reasons.

5.      What makes the Anasazi civilization and Chaco Canyon so impressive? Describe in detail.

6.      How did the rapid population growth and increase in construction begin the collapse of the Anasazi? Explain in detail using cause and effect.

7.      Why was the 50-year drought the “last straw”?

8.      Based on the video you think the collapse of the Anasazi was inevitable (unavoidable) or avoidable? Support your claim with 3 reasons and evidence from the video.

9.      Which solutions worked for the Anasazi as they attempted to rebuild their collapsed society and why?

10.  What lessons can a modern nation like the United States learn from the story of the Anasazi.