Human Geography for Teachers

Citizens of the World World is so interrelated now days Technology: Internet, CNN, quick flights “Soft” borders – can go just about anywhere Strive to understand the ongoing changes Make sense of the new directions our world is taking Ask questions, acquire correct & objective info, organize info, analyze info, answer question Geography is one of the most powerful tools we have to accomplish this

What do Geographers Study? The Old Notion: States, countries, and capitals Location Important, but leads to other questions: Not only “where?” but “why?” and “so what?”

What do Geographers Study? The Continuing Notion: The earth and everything about it The Correct Notion Definition: ???

A Basic Definition The location and distribution of features at or near the Earth’s surface Location Absolute Relative Distribution Features Physical (Natural) Cultural (Human)

Geographic Perspective Geographic Realms: Basic Spatial unit in our world organizational scheme (neighborhoods) Spatial Perspective: Pertaining to space on the Earth’s surface Not only where, but why things are located where they are, how they got there, and how they could change

Realms and Regions Taxonomy Criteria of Realms; must include: A system of scientific classification; in geography, it’s spatial, NOT horizontal or vertical Criteria of Realms; must include: Unique physical & human features Function Interaction: interaction between people and their environment Represent great clusters of human kind Formed by Transition Zones and Geographic Change Transition Zones: Where two realms or regions meet, defined by a gradual shift of characteristics Geographic Change: because the world is constantly changing, realms, regions, and even concepts change with it Geography is an ever-changing discipline!

Realms and Regions (cont) Regions: An area of the Earth marked by specific criteria e.g. in N. America, we have “Midwest”, “Yukon”, Canada, United States, etc. Area: occupies space on the Earth’s surface Boundaries: dividing line between areas; can be “hard” or “soft” Location: The position of something Absolute Relative

Realms and Regions (cont) Regional Classification Formal Regions: Regions that show a “sameness” Functional Regions: Regions that show internal structure

Functional Regions Formal Region

Realms and Regions (cont) Core and Hinterland Core = “heart” of a region Hinterland = “periphery” of a region

Geography and Scale Scale: The ratio between two places on a map and the actual distance on the Earth’s surface Large and Small Scale: Smaller the fraction (larger the denominator), the smaller the scale Small scale shows BIG overview, large scale shows fine detail

Which Map is Larger Scale?

The Physical Setting Physical Geography Natural Landscapes Study of Natural Landscapes Natural Landscapes Landforms on the Earth’s surface and other physical features Wegener and Continental Drift Pangaea: Wegener’s hypothetical continent Tectonic Plates

The Physical Setting Tectonic Plates Great slabs that form on the ocean floor and carry the continents, about 1 inch/year

The Physical Setting Tectonic Plates Mountain- and Island-Building by Subduction Less dense plates “ride over” the more dense plates; i.e. the heavier plate “subducts” (goes under) under the lighter plate

Tectonics & Earthquakes

The Future? Pangea Ultima…

Climate Climate and Climate Change Weather vs. climate Desertification: deserts expanding due to human degradation Glaciation: process by which glaciers advance over previously ice-free terrain Ice Age: lowering of Earth’s temperature, causing equatorward expansion of icesheets and growth of glaciers Interglaciations: period of warming time separating two glacial periods Global Cooling-Warming Cycles

Climate Classification Climate Classification (Köppen) Humid Equatorial (A) Climates Dry (B) Climates Humid Temperate (C) Climates Humid Cold (D) Climates Cold Polar (E) and Highland (H) Climates

Regions and Cultures When studying a realm or region, must use physiography and culture Physiography: total physical geography Culture: broadly defined, means “human features”; sometimes a culture has a distinct personality Regional Character: a distinct atmosphere & personality of a region (examples???) Because Geographers are concerned with both culture and nature, we often times find what we call Cultural Landscapes: Human imprints on the Earth’s surface

Realms of Population Population Distribution Terminology How people (or things) are arranged across the Earth’s surface Where are the major concentrations of people in the world? Why are they there? This is a function of Geography: taking a bunch of data and answering the where, why, and how! Terminology Population Density: number of people (or things) per unit area Megalopolis: several metropolises (e.g., “Tri-State” Area) Urbanization: in population studies, how many people live in large cities; people moving to urban areas Cartograms: special maps not drawn at a tradition scale or area

Smaller Polygon = Denser

Where do we Live?

Patterns of Development Growth of states and nation-states Core The “heart” of something—NOT the center Hinterland or Periphery The outskirts or outlying area of something Economic Geography Spatial aspects of how people make a living Globalization A gradual reduction of regional contrasts resulting from all sorts of exchanges, e.g. cultural, economic, political, etc. Iconography A culture’s specific, unifying symbols, habits, & traditions Examples of our iconography?

The Geographic Perspective Regional Geography Application of geography to specific areas Systematic Fields Bridging the gap between the physical and social sciences Can study each subfield in a specific region if you want!

Another View of Geography

Logistics… Straight-forward assessment options Refer to AssignmentStruc673.pdf Links to PowerPoints for each presentation Readings: listed in syllabus all online readings provided Resources: presentations by various Geographers and others concerned with Human Geography

Resources The Annenberg Foundation loves teachers. When you register FOR FREE, they have a HUGE amount of resources ready for you! Try this link, click on one of the presentations, and follow the instructions for “New Users”: http://www.learner.org/resources/series161.html Video: Dr. JP Jones Discusses the socio-spatial dialectic, an important concept in geography