Geography Essay
• Please write 2-3 pages essay for EACH topic.
• Please read Essay Guidelines and use Suggested Sources.
• Please NO Plagiarism
First topic: What is a stratovolcano? Describe its characteristic shape and name a geographic example. Where are these types of volcanoes found? What type of material do they erupt? What type of eruption is most common? How do stratovolcanoes differ from other volcanoes? What conditions are necessary for formation?
Second topic: Describe and identify the three types of convergent plate boundaries. Include in your discussion any landforms, topographic features, rock-type, or other physical processes that may result along these boundaries. Name a geographic example of each.
ESSAY GUIDELINES
Specifics:
Each essay is to be 2-3 pages in length, and must be written using Word or equivalent, The paper must have 1" margins, and be double-spaced. A separate bibliography/reference page at the end of the paper is required. Numbering the pages is helpful in organization. Graphs and pictures may be included in the body of the report, however the written portion of the paper must be at least 2 pages.
Suggested Sources/References:
To produce a quality essay, at least 2 references are required. Your textbook does count as a reference. Additionally, the following journals are suggested:
Physical Geography Geographic Review
Nature Journal of Geography
Science National Geographic
Body of Essay
This is a scientific, technical paper. It is not a campfire story. It is not personal reminiscences and should not include any references to "I", or "me" or "my", etc. The paper must be written in third person. Avoid journalistic writing styles (too "flowery", too "cute" or....so forth)
The paper should start with an Introduction - a short paragraph stating the purpose for the paper (and the purpose is not "because it is required"!). The introduction should indicate the type of research done - library or fieldwork, and a general description of the paper's topic.
The next part of the paper is the "Body of the Paper", sectioned into "chronological" components, or other sections. These smaller sections allow the reader to focus on the important highlights of the paper. Using headings and smaller sections also make your paper more readable.
The final section of the paper should be the "Conclusion" or "summary". This is where it "all comes together". You need to restate some of the information in your Introduction and end with a final conclusion.
Example Essay:
Volcanoes in California (TITLE)
YOUR NAME
Introduction
Stratovolcanoes (BODY OF PAPER WITH HEADINGS)
Shield Volcanoes Cinder Cones Conclusion
References - This is a separate page at the end of the paper
Journal references should be listed alphabetically by author, publication date, journal name (underlined or italicized), volume number, and pages.
Book references should be listed alphabetically by author, publication date, book name (Underlined or italicized), publisher's name? number of pages in book.
Internet references are generally discouraged due to a lack of credible sources. However, if a source is reliable, and I approve it, the references should be listed as shown in the example below.
Journal Reference:
Doe, John (1995), "Rapid Industrialization of China", Science, v.3, 14-28.
Book Reference:
Smith, Mary (1994), Theory of Location of Industry, New York: John Wiley & Sons, 330 pp
Internet Reference:
https://www.rubicon.water.ca.gov/delta_atlas.fdr/datp.htm
Making your Paper Even Better!
Your paper can be made more interesting with the addition of graphs, images, pictures, diagrams and so forth. When adding in diagrams, there are a few rules to remember.
(1) Always refer to your diagram, graph, or image etc. in the body of the text. For example: "Figure 1 illustrates a typical cinder cone volcano".
(2) Always label your diagram, graph, or image, etc. beneath the actual figure itself as a caption. For example: "Figure 1. a typical cinder cone volcano".
(3) Always identify the source of your image, diagram, or graph, etc. in the caption. For example: "Figure 1. a typical cinder cone volcano. Source: Microsoft Encarta, volume 3, page 115". If you are downloading an image, diagram, graph, etc. from a web page, include the entire URL address. For example: " https://www/usgs.gov/volcano.html".
Your paper should contain the following information:
(a) a complete description of the subject
(b) a complete history of your subject.
(c) any current trends or the current state of your subject
(d) possible implications for the future of your subject.