New Mexico and the American West
1) List and explain the Four Stages of Development of the Colorado River. Be sure to describe specific events, projects, and issues that defined each period. End your answer with what you believe is to be lesson learned by the development of the Colorado River to provide water for urban purposes.
2) Compare and contrast the physical and cultural geography of New Mexico and Arizona. You must include the following traits: physiographic provinces, climate, name and traits of the desert, the relative role of Laws of the Indies, population, role of Spanish in settlement, current ethnicity, political character, water sources, and attitudes about the U.S.-Mexico Border. List the information side by side, comparing and contrasting. End you answer with what you believe is the essential difference between these two Sunbelt states.
3) List and briefly describe the Five Geographic Periods of Development in Arizona. Be sure to include specific cities, economic activities, and events for each period.
4) List and briefly describe some of the essential elements of Navajo culture. For example: Four Sacred Mountains and their meanings, hozho, Blessingway ceremony, and Navajo cultural beliefs. End your answer with a listed side-by-side comparison of the Navajo and Hopi nations – what are the main differences in how they settled the land, practice religion, and adapt to modern life?
5) List and briefly explain the “Traits of the Mormon Cultural Landscape.” What was the “Plat for the City of Zion?” Then the Mormon Cultural Landscape to the cultural landscape traits of New Mexico villages settled under the Laws of the Indies. What is similar and what is different and why?
6) List and briefly describe what makes Utah different than the rest of the American West. You could focus on such factors as: how it was settled, by who, why it was settled, land tenure conflicts, economy, its demography (growth rate, family size, total fertility rate, lifespan, literacy, crime rates, etc.), and its political character. End your answer by giving three major cultural differences in between Utah and New Mexico.
7) List and briefly explain the major geographic traits of the Great Plains. For example: physiography, climate (including why it is a dry region), land ownership/land use/land tenure, problems the region faces (uncertain economies, isolation, etc), demography, ethnicity, religion, and economy. End your answer with a paragraph that describes the Dust Bowl – why it refers to, why this disaster happened, and what land use adaptations were made because of it.
8) List and briefly describe the traits of Yellowstone National Park. When and why was it formed, size, wildlife issues, fire ecology challenges, and internal/external threats to the park. End your answer with a description of what is meant by “The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.”