Collapsing Knowledge

We have been investigating different regions of the world for the past seven weeks.  During that time, you have rotated through two of those regions and acquired a series of facts, analyzed current events and synthesized the information.  In addition, you read several chapters from Jared Diamond's "Collapse".  Your third quarter benchmark will be a mashup of Jared Diamond and your regional investigations. 

1.  Reread page 11-15 of "Collapse" and refresh your memory as to the five point framework

• Environmental Damage
• Climate Change
• Hostile Neighbors
• Friendly Trade Partners
• Society's Response to its Environmental Problems

2.  Choose one country from your current region (rotation #2) to focus on for the project

3.  Choose one country from your former region (rotation #1) to focus on for the project

4.  Research your chosen countries with regard to the five point framework.  Diamond has done this for you over the course of several chapters, so look back at chapters 1-5 for examples.

5.  Determine each country's level of 'Collapse'ibility by taking each of the 5 point framework and making a reasoned assertion, based on evidence. You will arrive at a 'Collapse'ibility range.  For instance:

• Environmental Damage - Rate the level of damage

      10 = in perfect environmental health

      0 = in complete environmental damage that will be nearly impossible from which to recover

• Climate Change - Rate the level of change

      10 = a completely stable climate

      0 = large/violent swings in climate conditions that negatively impact life and physical landscape

• Hostile Neighbors - Rate the level of hostility

      10 = no hostile neighbors

      0 = surrounded on all sides by hostile neighbors

• Friendly Trade Partners - Rate the level of access to friendly trade partners

      10 = access to unlimited friendly trade partners

      0 = cut off from world markets, plagued by sanctions

• Society's Response to its Environmental Problems - Rate the level of responsiveness to environmental problems

      10 = Robust, effective interventions to environmental problems

      0 = No environmental policy intervening in pervasive problems

6.  Compare and contrast the two countries, looking for points where there is commonality of circumstance and where there is divergence.  Make predictions as to why those commonalities and divergences occur in this particular scenario.

7.  Present this information in a format that allows for the audience to understand the stability of each of countries, using examples and reputable sources.

You will be assessed on several main factors (more detail coming Wednesday):

• ability to clearly define each of the chosen countries with relationship to the five point framework
• use of relevant and reliable research to support the assertions made in the explanation of the country and the five point framework
• skill in telling a compelling story with the information
• remember the SLA rubric categories when thinking about how to best represent the information for your audience.

Reminder... don't be boring.