Write a brief regional overview of the continent in which most of the action in the novel you read took place. That is, if you read the Grapes of Wrath, you would write about the North American continent; if you did Things Fall Apart, you would write about Africa instead. Illustrate your report where relevant with maps (hand-drawn ones are okay; for base maps, you might be able to use some in your map packet or, if you've already written all over those, you can print some handy base maps from the atlas section of the National Geographic Expeditions site).
Your report needs to describe the basic physical features of the continent (e.g., mountain ranges, plains or valleys, rivers, surrounding oceans or seas, major vegetation patterns, and climate types). It then needs to enumerate the various countries on that continent and the major ethnic groups or principal language groups found there. Your report should also characterize the dominant religions found in the area and, where relevant, note where indigenous folk religions have survived to the present day (i.e., the areas where no major organized religion has taken over). What are the dominant food crops? How do various groups make a living (i.e., are most people subsistence agriculturalists or are there concentrations of industrial or service activities?) and how is this changing under global economic restructuring?
Please document your sources of information in a reference list that someone could consult if they had to create a few weeks of lecture and classroom activities for K-12 students (hey -- this might be YOU in a few years). In documenting your sources, use a standard parenthetical documentation system, such as those presented in A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Kate L.Turabian et al.) or the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA). For Internet sources, provide as much of the normal information as possible (author[s], date of last revision, title of document) and the full URL.
This is a tall order, folks. What I am looking for is your ability to digest a lot of different kinds of information and then present the highlights succinctly. Synthesis and organization are key here. I would like the report text to be about 4-5 pages long, so economy of expression is important.
I have several paedogogical goals for this assignment. First, I would like to expose you to the regional tradition in geography (National Geography Standards 4-5). Second, I would like to have you build a vivid mental map (Standard 2) of one major region of the earth's surface, comprising at least a flirting familiarity with its physical and human systems (Standards 7-13). Third, I especially want to provide an understanding of the regional context behind your novel, your report on which will familiarize you with Standard 6. Fourth, this report is an opportunity to sharpen your writing skills -- and your writing mechanics, as described in the book report guidelines , will count for about thirty percent of your grade).