In Europe, the big idea we will explore
is the idea of geographic complexity –
how a complex environment
can help protect groups of people
and encourage innovation.
Like the other big ideas, this concept
applies in every part of the world,
but it is especially easy to see in Europe,
a relatively small area with many mountains
and complicated coastline that has many
peninsulas and sheltered harbors.
These materials explore some consequences
of geographic complexity, using examples from Europe.
- BI9 Scaffold – Complexity in Europe
- BI9 Interactive Chapter about Complexity in Europe
- Printable version of chapter
- BI9 Europe big idea presentation
- BI9 Europe clickable map
- BI9 Europe clickable map activity
- BI9 Europe clickable map index
Day 1: Start with a simple geographic fact –
Europe has a very complicated outline,
with more miles of coast than Africa, Australia,
and South America put together. This shape
had an important effect in early human history:
people who lived on a peninsula were often safer,
because enemies could attack from only
one direction (until better ships, marines,
and air forces were “invented”). Well-known
early civilizations that benefited from
peninsular location included Greece, Rome,
Spain, and the Vikings.
Option: This historic “locate-the-fort” simulation
uses the same decision-making “activity engine”
as the Jamestowne activity in the Course Intro.
You could therefore use it in the Intro unit, or here.
The goal is for students to realize that city locations
are the result of people using available information
to make decisions, often under time pressure.
This activity can take one to three days, depending
on how many historic connections are made..
Day 2-3: After the invention of better sails, compasses,
and other navigation equipment, the complex coastline
of Europe offered another advantage – sheltered harbors
for fleets of sailing ships, which European countries used
to claim colonies on all other (habitable!) continents.
- BI9B European Colonies activity set
- BI9B European Colonies clickable map
- BI9B European Colonies presentation
- BI5X Africa European Colonial Claims map
One great advantage of western Europe was
its favorable position with regard to the global pattern
of winds and ocean currents. These activities offer
several ways to approach this topic – see also
the activity about placename languages
in the unit on South America.
- BI9Bw Winds and Currents activity set
- BI9Bw Winds and Currents presentation
- BI2X United States Beach Temperatures
We have a followup activity about the Spanish Armada,
which reinforces the role of local geographic conditions
in many historic events.
Day 4: Europe’s geologic complexity offered another
advantage at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution:
important deposits of coal, iron, and other metals
occur in many places on the continent, which in turn
allowed many separate industrial districts to develop.
These, in turn, supported high standards of living
(and powerful military forces) in many parts of Europe.
Day 5: This activity complements the multimedia unit
on Changing Iron Technology in the ARGWorld CD,
by the Association of American Geographers,
and available on the CD that accompanies
Teaching Geography (Guilford Press, 2014).
The Iron Tech presentation here is a much simplified
version of the ARGWorld interactive multimedia unit.
- BI9C Iron Factory Location activity
- BI9C Iron Factory Location teacher notes
- BI9C Iron Tech presentation DRAFT
Summary: At the end of this unit, students
should be able to explain how the idea
of geographic complexity can help us understand
aspects of Europe’s history and present economy.
It can also provide perspective for a capstone project
about a current-events topic such as refugees
streaming into southern Europe, alternative energy
in northern Europe, the aging population of Europe,
the changing role of industry in the European economy,
and the potential breakup of the European Union.