Human ecology

Join host John Green to learn about drought, which is a natural weather phenomenon, and famine, which is almost always the result of human activity. Throughout human history, when food shortages hit humanity, there was food around. There was just a failure to connect people with the food that would keep them alive. There are a lot of reasons that food distribution breaks down, and John is going to teach you about them in the context of the late-19th century famines that struck British India.

This one hour video workshop focuses on the geographic features of Sub-Saharan Africa with case studies on the impact of apartheid on present-day South Africa as well as on disease diffusion in Kenya. Classroom segments show educators using role-playing activities to teach students about land allocation in South Africa and the impact of the AIDS epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa. This program considers present-day issues in South Africa resulting from the redressing of land inequities under apartheid. The video also examines disease in Sub-Saharan Africa and how geography can play a role in developing strategies to reduce loss of life.

This half hour video program features two case studies on the United States: Oregon: A Fight for Water and U.S. Midwest: Spatial Innovations. The first segment looks at agricultural production in the regional transition zone from the lush West Coast of Oregon to the state's more arid landscapes on the east, particularly the salmon farming industry. The second segment looks at the geographic distribution of Japanese auto plants throughout the Midwestern United States.

This half hour video program features two case studies on countries in Latin America: Mexico: Motive to Migrate and Guatemala: Population and Conquest. The first case study explores migration both within Mexico and to Mexico's northern neighbor, the United States. The second case study examines the historical geography of Guatemala. The country's history of Spanish conquest began in 1524, when Mayan mountain Indians were subjugated, not for their land or wealth, but to provide the labor needed to create and maintain plantations and haciendas.