Evidence Unit Enduring Understandings

Posted on October 23rd, 2008 in Humanities by Gregory

I learned a few things in our Evidence Unit in our humanities class this first quarter. I learned that evidence that came in more forms than I thought before. I didn’t know that somebodies diary, journal, or historical document would count as a piece of evidence. In my mind, I used to only put evidence in one category, just evidence. Now I know that there is primary evidence, secondary evidence, etc. The book, “Blood on the River” also taught me some things about Jamestown I didn’t know before. Before I read the book, all I knew was that Jamestown suffered a lot in its first winters, there was a guy called John White was a smart leader, stuff from the Pocahontas movie (disney), and that some Indian helped Jamestown survive so that’s why we have Thanksgiving now. The Roanoke thing was pretty new for me. I don’t usually study mysteries in english class, so it was a pretty new experience. Overall, I liked it pretty much.

Environmental Issues: Land Degradation

Posted on October 23rd, 2008 in Science by Gregory

  Land degradation is where the quality of soil is lowered in an area, usually because of a combination of things that us humans do to the land. Right now, 40% of all the agricultural land in the world is very degraded. The more degraded the soil is, the less plants will grow there. Some crops are better for the soil than others. Tobacco, for instance seems to suck the life out of the soil. But no matter what you plant, its not good for the soil if you always keep planting the same crops in the same place all the time. 33% of the world’s land is now desert, and is growing rapidly. Only 11% of the the world’s land is fit to grow crops.

Overgrazing by livestock can lead to land degradation

People should take take steps to make sure their agricultural land does not become seriously degraded. People have started taking steps, but its not enough. The world’s deserts are growing, and agricultural land is shrinking rapidly. If we don’t act soon, there is going to be another Dust Bowl, and this time it won’t just be the US. It’ll be continent.

Websites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_degradation

http://soils.usda.gov/use/worldsoils/papers/land-degradation-overview.html

http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange2/current/lectures/land_deg/land_deg.html