Geography

 The world in Spatial Terms  Places and Regions  Physical Systems  Human Systems  Environment and Society  The Uses of Geography The Six Essential Elements

 Location  Where is it? The World in Spatial Terms

 Place  Describes physical features like  Landforms  Climate  Plant or Animal life  Or Human characteristics  Language  Way of life  Regions  Are places that are united by one or more common characteristics. Places and Regions

 Study of how the Earth is shaped  Hurricanes  Volcanoes  Glaciers  The Life Cycle of plants and animals  How they survive and depend on one another. Physical Systems

 How boundary lines are set up  How people settle in certain places  A key is to remember people, ideas, and goods continuously move. Human Systems

 How does our environment influence the way we live?  Shows how we as humans use the environment  Shows how our actions affect our environment  i.e. – global warming Environment and Society

 Geographers look to understand the relationships among people, places and environments over time.  Know the tools that are available to you  Maps, globes, satellites, compass, aerial photos and much more. The Uses of Geography

Maps and Globes How are they used?

 Globes are divided into features  Hemispheres  Latitude  Longitude  A globe gives a true picture of the Earth as a scale model (dilation in math) Globes

 The Earth is divided into 4 hemispheres  The Equator divides the  Northern Hemisphere  Southern Hemisphere  The Prime Meridian divides the  Eastern Hemisphere  Western Hemisphere Hemispheres

Latitude  Latitude lines are imaginary lines that break the Earth into distance measures from the Equator.  i.e. – parallel to the Equator, lines running East and West.  90 degrees

Longitude  Longitude Lines are imaginary lines that break the Earth into distance measurements from the Prime Meridian.  i.e. – lines parallel to the Prime Meridian running North and South  180 degrees

 When given a latitude and longitude degree you are able to find or pinpoint an absolute location on Earth.  See worksheet Using Latitude and Longitude lines

 How maps are different  How to read a key  Types of Maps  General Purpose  Physical  Political  Special Purpose  Maps can show Earth or parts in great detail. Maps

 Maps are flat (1-dimensional) and have limitations.  Mapmakers are known as Cartographers.  They use mathematical formulas to create their maps  The size, distance, shape or area can change from the curved lines on the globe to the flat lines on a map. How are Maps different?

 Great Circle Routes are imaginary lines that follow the curve of the Earth.  Airplane pilots use these routes because they are the shortest distance.  Using Technology  Cartographers use a system called geographic information system (GIS)  People like you and me use a Global Positioning System (GPS) Cont…

 A map key explains the features that are within a map.  Ex: rivers, mountains, climate, cities, capitals, etc.  Also located on a map is the Scale and Compass Rose.  Scale – helps you locate the distance between two points  Compass Rose – helps you find your direction – North, South, East, West and in between. How to read a key

Types of Maps – General Purpose PhysicalPolitical

Cont… Physical  Features they display  Landforms - Green  mountains  Water – Blue  River, lakes, bays  Elevation can also be displayed showing multiple colors for the height of a mountain. Political  Features they display  Names and boundaries of countries  Cities  Human-made features  Major physical features – rivers, bodies of water or mountains

 They show a theme or pattern on a map  Climate  Natural resources  Population density  Battles  Territorial changes  The title tells what the map is describing.  The key describes how to read the map. Special Purpose Maps