Mrs. Prieto Topic 1 STUDYING GEOGRAPHY

hJe6Qao WHY DOES GEOGRAPHY MATTER?

The study of the Earth and its people. Geographers try to understand a place- not just where it is, but what it is like, what happens there, and how the people there live. Because the study of geography is so big, it is organized into 5 themes (subjects): Location, place, movement, and human-environment interaction. WHAT IS GEOGRAPHY?

Describes where something is. Absolute location describes a place’s exact position on Earth’s surface. Example: Tallahassee, Florida is located at 30°25’ N latitude and 84°17’ W longitude. Relative location expresses where a place is compared to another place. Example: North of the library. LOCATION

Physical and human features that make a city, state, or country unique. Example: Theme parks make Florida unique. PLACE

Areas that share common features. Regions can be land, water, or a specific area in a city or state. Example: The West Coast is a region bordering the Pacific Ocean and includes the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. REGIONS

Explains how and why people, things, and ideas move. Example: a group of people may move for various reasons. Ideas spread from one place to another. Both types of movement lead to change. MOVEMENT

Explores the relationship between people and their environments. Example: Early Native Americans in the southwestern United States used materials from plants, animals, and the land to build their homes and to clothe and feed themselves. HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION

If you were describing the town where you live- its people, its sights- which theme would you be using? PROGRESS CHECK

There are many different types of maps and globes, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. A globe is a round model of the Earth. It shows the Earth’s shape and its lands. The shapes, sizes, and locations of the lands are accurate. MAPS AND GLOBES

A map is a flat drawing of all or part of the Earth’s surface. Cartographers, or mapmakers, use math to transfer shapes from the round globe to a flat map. Still, they have to slightly change the shapes of the places they show, they are distorted. Maps can be small (like the map of a classroom) or large (like a map of the world). There are also historical maps, they show the features of a place at some time in the past. MAPS AND GLOBES

Maps can contain a large amount of information in a small space. To understand them, you need to know the different parts that make up a map, what they represent, and how they work together. UNDERSTANDING PARTS OF A MAP

Maps that show a wide range of information about an area are known as general purpose maps. Two common general purpose maps: Physical maps Political maps PHYSICAL AND POLITICAL MAPS

Physical maps show landforms (natural features of the Earth’s land surface). They also show water features. They show things like deserts, mountains, plains, or plateaus. They also show relief (ups and downs of the Earth’s surface, and elevation (the height of an area above sea level. PHYSICAL MAPS

PHYSICAL MAP

Political maps show the names and political boundary lines, or borders of a place. Political maps may also show human made features such as cities or transportation routes. POLITICAL MAPS

Some maps have a specific purpose. These are called thematic or special purpose maps. Special purpose maps usually show themes, patterns, or emphasize one subject. Example: They may present information about climate or natural resources, what kind of vegetation grows where, etc. SPECIAL PURPOSE MAPS (THEMATIC)

Some maps have a specific purpose. These are called thematic or special purpose maps. Special purpose maps usually show themes, patterns, or emphasize one subject. Example: They may present information about climate or natural resources, what kind of vegetation grows where, etc. Include: Historical maps, population maps, migration, change in boundaries, etc. SPECIAL PURPOSE MAPS (THEMATIC)

Geography themes postcard activity.

There are six essential elements of geography. (DON’T CONFUSE THEM WITH THE THEMES!!!) 1) The world in spatial terms 2) Places and regions 3) Physical systems 4) Human systems 5) Environment and society 6) Uses of Geography ELEMENTS OF GEOGRAPHY

This basically has to do with the location of a place. Every place has an absolute location and a relative location. Absolute location is the exact spot of a place on Earth’s surface. No two places on Earth have the same absolute location. Relative location tells where a place is, compared with one or more places. Examples of relative location: 1) Miami is southeast of Tampa. 2) Miami is southeast of Tampa, west of the pacific ocean, and about 228 miles north of the capital city of Havana on the island of Cuba. THE WORLD IN SPATIAL TERMS

Historians use relative location to understand how it was settled and how is culture developed. Example: Miami is the closest large U.S. city to Cuba. This fact helps explain why Miami and the surrounding area is home to such a large population of Cuban Americans. THE WORLD IN SPATIAL TERMS

Place describes all the characteristics that make a an area unique. They can be physical features such as mountains, waterways, climate, and plant or animal life. Can also be described by human features such as language, religion, and architecture. If you were trying to tell someone about the town where you live, you would be describing a place. PLACES AND REGIONS

Each place is unique. When places share features in common with others, they are referred to as a region. A region is a group of places that share the same common features. Physical features such as a type of landform or plant life, can define regions. Human features, such as religions, language, or industry, also shape regions. Example: The South during the early 1800s was a largely agricultural region. The economy was based on trading agricultural products. The widespread practice of slavery defined the region. PLACES AND REGIONS

Earth’s powerful forces that can change our planet Include the forces that create weather- wind, rain, snow, and storms. There are also physical systems that make the surface of the Earth move and change shape. These forces build mountain ranges, cause earthquakes, and form volcanoes. PHYSICAL SYSTEMS

Affect where and how humans live. Example: people may decide not to live on the slopes of an active volcano that could erupt at any time. Almost every place that people choose to live feels some sort of impact from storms, earthquakes, fires, or other physical systems. Ecosystems are a type of physical system. An ecosystem is a community of living beings and the surroundings in which they live. For example, a lake. A lake’s ecosystem includes the plants, animals, water, and everything that lives beneath the water. Other examples: forests, wetlands, grasslands, and deserts. In an ecosystem, all the creatures and features are connected. A change to one part can affect other parts. PHYSICAL SYSTEMS

Includes all the things humans create as they build their lives together on Earth. Includes all the people and their settlements, as well as the cultures they form. Also includes the way different groups of people interact with each other, how they work together to get along, and how they settle conflicts when they occur. HUMAN SYSTEMS

Human systems are always changing. Movements of people, ideas, and goods also shape the world. People move to new places and take up new lives. Cultures spread into new areas. HUMAN SYSTEMS

People shape the world in which they live. In turn, the world shapes them. People settle in certain places and change their environment to suit them. For example, we build cities with buildings, streets and homes. We create roads, we use nonrenewable energy such as coal to make electricity. We also adapt to the world around us. For example, we adapt when we use renewable energy. ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY

We respond to our surroundings in different ways. Sometimes we adjust to them, some times we change them to meet our needs. Florida’s ecosystems have been greatly affected by human development, specially the Everglades. The Everglades is a unique area of lowlands connected by freshwater resources such as rivers, streams, and shallow sheets of water. It has a diverse animal population. The growth of nearby cities and their need for freshwater has drained many of the original freshwater resources for the Everglades. Today, many of the formerly wet areas are dry, and some freshwater areas near the coasts are now filled with salt water. This is an example of the consequences of changing our environment rather than adapting to it. We must find ways to balance our needs with the needs of the world around them. ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY

Helps people understand the relationships between people, places, and the environment. Can help us look at the past and the future. Depending on where a person lived in the past would change how they lived. For example, if a person lived in Kentucky in the past they might have had houses made out of woods from the forests. Geography can affect the future too. For example, if you need more energy in the future and you have a big flowing river near by, you could build a dam to create more energy. USES OF GEOGRAPHY

Elements activity

1. Use the following terms in a sentence that explains the relationship between the terms. 1. a. Globeb. Map 2. Use the following terms in a sentence that explains the relationship between the terms 1. a. Landformsb. Reliefc. Elevation 3. What are the five themes of geography? 4. What are the different disadvantages of globes and maps? 5. Write an example of a relative location. 6. How do physical systems affect humans? 7. What is the definition of a place? 8. Give two examples of places that you are familiar with. REVIEW