Look at the language maps of Mexico in the Ethnologue database at http://www.ethnologue.com/show_map.asp?name=Mexico and hypothesize about the geographic factors that might lead to the spatial pattern of languages that the maps show. What might have led to this pattern?
Discuss the statement "Plateaus have historically been the site of unique groups and independent states."
List the foods that you ate during one meal today (or yesterday) and trace each ingredient back to its place of origin. How did it get from its hearth to your table?
Toponymy is the study of place names. Look at the names of five cities or towns in your area and try to figure out where the name originates. Or, look at the names of roads on your campus or in your town. What do these names say about the history of your area?
Select one native clothing style (national costume) for each continent and describe how it developed with relation to aspects of that area's physical geography.
Native or traditional architectural styles are a result of people's reaction to conditions of weather and climate. Select three different architecture styles, one from the tropics, one from middle latitudes, and one from an arid environment, and discuss how each one's characteristic features was developed to address a particular need.
What geographic factors might explain why three of the world's primary religions, namely Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, originated in the same area of the world?
