Question The Wealth and Poverty of Nations The

Question – The Wealth and Poverty of Nations The United States is the richest and most powerful nation in the world. Today, you’re going to try to figure out why. With your group members, name as many rich and powerful countries in the world as you can. Now, name as many poor and weak countries as you can. What kinds of qualities do the rich nations have in common? What kinds of qualities do the poor nations have in common? Are there any qualities that any of the rich or poor nations have in common? Be prepared to discuss these questions when the buzzer sounds.

Rich, Powerful Nations Germany Powerful military Great Britain Large population China Russia Canada Japan United States Spain France Australia United Kingdom Strict/efficient government Strong business Decent law enforcement Advanced technology Most have access to nuclear power/weapons

Poor, Weak Nations Haiti Most of the nations within Africa Iraq Mexico Cuba Japan – natural disaster, nuclear Most nations in South America China – pollution North Korea Germany – were poor Vietnam Natural disasters – tougher to recover Financial problems Poor healthcare Low technology Ineffective military Can’t support the current birth rate Much of the population works in farming/food production

What do they have in common? All have religion All have militaries All have natural disasters All have political leadership All have history behind their current status

Guns, Germs, and Steel Today we will watch the first episode of a video called, “Guns, Germs, and Steel. ” This video attempts to answer the same question we just discussed – why are some societies so rich and prosperous, and others are not? Your task will be to: Summarize the basic arguments of the video Evaluate the arguments and evidence – Agree or disagree? Explain and support why.

Assignment You will accomplish the previous task in essay form. For this essay, it should be at least five paragraphs. When writing, be sure to use your introduction to introduce your main idea, and your conclusion to wrap-up your ideas at the end Be sure to explain and support.

Argument Logic – 12 Points Excellent – 6 -5 points Good – 4 -3 points Poor – 2 -0 points EXPLANATION Logic argues major points and avoids logical gaps SUPPORT Evidence used is appropriate, strong, and supports the main thesis strongly - SUPPORT Virtually no gaps exist in the paper’s logic Some minor gaps and questions may exist in the paper’s logic Most information used strongly supports the main thesis The paper’s arguments make little or no logical sense Writing Mechanics and Structure – 6 Points Excellent – 6 -5 points Good – 4 -3 points Poor – 2 -0 points Writing mechanics and structure follow common standards of written English for the subject and purpose (APA formatted if necessary) Writing mechanics and structure have few, if any, errors Writing mechanics and structure may have some structure have numerous minor problems that do not errors that cause major detract from the paper overall. problems with the paper Introduction and Conclusion – 12 Points Excellent – 6 -5 points Good – 4 -3 points Poor – 2 -0 points Introduction directly and clearly states the point of view or purpose of the paper. Conclusion logically brings together all parts of the argument for a clear summary Introduction directly and clearly states the view or purpose of the paper. Conclusion logically brings together all parts of the argument for a clear summary. Introduction may only vaguely state the view or purpose of the paper. Conclusion may have gaps in bringing together the various parts of the argument. Introduction does not state the paper’s purpose, or states it in an extremely unclear way. Conclusion does not bring together the parts of the argument. All information used strongly supports the main thesis Most of the information in the paper is weak and does not support the main thesis