Geography Unit 1 Culture Chapter 1, Section 1 & 2 Read Pgs

Essential Questions? 1.13 What are the five fundamental themes of Geography? 1.14What are some of the major water ways, landforms, and climate types?

What is Geography?  The study of spatial variation  What does that mean! Our Definition: The study of the Earth’s surface/ topography, climate, continents, countries, peoples, industries, and products.

Five fundamental themes of geography 1) Location : the meaning of relative and absolute position on the earth's surface Sample terms: Latitude and longitude, site and situation, direction, distance, scale Skills: Map reading, identification Questions: Where is ____? Where is ____ relative to where I am?

2) Place : the distinctive and distinguishing physical and human characteristics of locales Sample terms: Physical and cultural landscapes, sense of place Skills: Description, compare and contrast Questions: What does ____ look like? Why? How is it different from ____? Five fundamental themes of geography

3) Relationships within places: the development and consequences of human-environment relationships Sample terms: Ecosystems, natural resources, environmental pollution Skills: Evaluation, analysis Questions: What human-environment relationships are occurring? How do they affect the place and its inhabitants? Five fundamental themes of geography

4) Movement : patterns and change in human spatial interaction on the earth Sample terms: Migration, diffusion, globalization Skills: Explanation, prediction Questions: How has this spatial pattern developed? Will it continue to change? What does it mean for the places involved? Five fundamental themes of geography

5) Regions : how they form and change Sample terms: Formal vs. functional regions Skills: Synthesis, application Questions: How has this spatial pattern developed? Will it continue to change? What does it mean for the places involved? Five fundamental themes of geography

Review !! As you come in to class…ask the people around you what the five fundamental themes of geography are AND give a specific example of each

Map Terms Unit 1 (Intro to Geography and Culture)

Continent : the major land masses of the world. (Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia, and Antarctica)

Ocean : a large body of salt water that surrounds a continent.

Latitude : the angular distance north or south from the equator to a particular location.

Longitude : the angular distance east or west from the prime meridian to a particular location.

Equator : an imaginary circle around the earth, halfway between the north and south poles. (0 degrees latitude)

Tropic of Cancer : an imaginary line of latitude at 23°30' N.

Tropic of Capricorn : an imaginary line of latitude at 23°30' S.

Northern Hemisphere : the half of the Earth that is north of the equator. (Light colored section)

Southern Hemisphere : the half of the Earth that is south of the equator. (Shaded section)

Key or Legend : is a small table accompanying the map that explains the symbols being used.

Scale : the ratio of the distance between two points found on a map as compared to the actual distance between these points in the real world.

Climate Terms Unit 1 (Intro to Geography and Culture)

Altitude : the height of an area, measured from sea level.

Tropical Rainforest : rainfall is heavy in all months and temperatures usually stay in the 80’s

Grasslands : a dry climate with warm summers and cold winters

Desert : found at low altitudes with little or no rainfall and temperatures usually stay hot year round

Deciduous : seasonal and daily temperatures vary greatly with abundant precipitation all year

Tundra : found along artic coastal areas with long cold winters

Coniferous Forest (Taiga) : long cold winters with short cool summers and little precipitation

Chaparral : warm/dry summers and cold/wet winters

Savanna : wet and dry season with consistently hot temperatures

Alpine : found at high altitudes with colder temps the higher the altitude and precipitation varies with the location

Land Forms Unit 1 (Intro to Geography and Culture)

Mountain : a very tall high, natural place on Earth. (higher than a hill)

Hill : a raised area or mound of land.

Plateau : a large, flat area of land that is higher than the surrounding land.

Plains : flat lands that have only small changes in elevation.

Valley : a low place between mountains.

Canyon : a deep valley with very steep sides - often carved from the Earth by a river.

Desert : a very dry and usually hot area, without substantial plant growth.

Island : a piece of land that is surrounded by water on all sides.

Archipelago : a group or chain of islands clustered together in a sea or ocean.

NOW THEY CAN BE MAN MADE!

Archipelagos off the coast of Dubai, UAE

Isthmus : a narrow strip of land connecting two larger landmasses with water on two sides.

Cape : a pointed piece of land that sticks out into a sea, ocean, lake, or river.

Peninsula : a body of land that is surrounded by water on three sides.

Water ways Unit 1 (Intro to Geography and Culture)

River : a large, flowing body of water that usually empties into a sea or ocean.

Lake : a large body of water surrounded by land on all sides.

Sea : a large body of salty water that is often connected to an ocean.

Bay : a body of water that is partly enclosed by land (and is usually smaller than a gulf).

Gulf : a part of the ocean or sea that is partly surrounded by land (it is usually larger than a bay).

Channel : a narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water.

Strait : a narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water.

Delta : a low, watery landform made of silt, sand, and small rocks that have collected downstream.

Estuary : where a river meets the sea or ocean.

Reef : an undersea growth of coral near the surface of the water.

Glacier : a slowly moving river of ice.

Any Questions?