Chapter 1 Geography

1.1 - Thinking Geographically What is geography? Geo “earth” Graph “write” - To write and study the people, environments, and resources within a region

Five Themes of Geography Location Place Interaction Movement Regions

Location Exact – specific location of a place – Use latitude – measure distance N and S of Equator – Use longitude – measure distance E and W of Prime Meridian NY is 41`N/74`W Relative – location of a place in relation to another place – NYC is located where Hudson River empties into the Atlantic Ocean

Place Physical and human features Natural resources – materials that humans can take from the environment to survive Impact choice to live, travel, or work

Interaction Humans have adapted to environments Native Americans created irrigation – Bringing water to dry lands

Movement Humans travel to obtain goods they need to survive U.S. was a place for liberty; people moved to enjoy their beliefs freely

Regions Certain unifying characteristics Great Plains: – Level land – Hot summers – Cold winters – Little rainfall

Maps and Globes Help people identify places, observe the sizes of places, locate landforms Cartographers – mapmakers Map projections – ways of drawing the Earth on a flat surface – Mercator and Robinson maps – Which do you think is better? Share with a partner.

Maps and History Thematic maps deal with specific topics Need to understand locations of boundaries, colonies, capitals, states, cities, bodies of water, locations of battles and more! – Make sure you can provide two examples of how maps help understanding history

1.2 – Lands and Climates of The U.S. Wide variety of features Specific regions of the U.S. – Pacific Coast, Intermountain Region, Rocky Mountains, Interior Plains, Ozark Highlands, Appalachian Mountains, Canadian Shield, Coastal Plains, Hawaiian Islands

Appalachian Mountains Stretch from Canada (N) to Georgia (S)

Coastal Plains Flat, lowland area First region settled by Europeans Atlantic Plain – Major eastern cities (Philly) to Florida Gulf Plain – Lies along Gulf of Mexico

American Rivers and Lakes Mississippi and Missouri Rivers very important to the U.S. The Great Lakes (border between U.S. and Canada) – HOMES (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior) Rivers and lakes provide trade between regions

Climate and Weather Climate – average weather of a place over a period of time (20-30 years) Altitude – height of the land above sea level Climates of the U.S. – Marine, Mediterranean, Highland, Desert/Steppe, Humid Continental, Tropical/Humid Subtropical, Tundra/Subarctic

Climates of the U.S. Highland – Cooler temperatures – High altitudes Humid Continental – Occasional precipitation – Mild summers and cold winters

1.3 – The Tools of History History only exists with historical evidence Primary source – firsthand information about people or events – Declaration of Independence Secondary Source – account provided after the fact by people who did not witness or participate in the event – Reading a history book with someone telling you about the Declaration of Independence

Evaluating Sources Check for authenticity – Is this source actually what it seems to be? Check for reliability – Is this really what happened? Watch out for bias representations – Leaning toward or against a certain topic

Archaeology Artifacts – objects made by humans – Sculptures from Ancient Greece Archaeology – the study of evidence left by early people in order to find out how they lived Archaeologists will study the culture of people that lived in the past

Chronology History is easiest learned by dates in correct order – Past is linked to the present Chronology – sequence of events over time – Absolute: Abraham Lincoln died at 7:22 AM on April 15, 1865 – Relative: phrases “later that year” or “within three months”

Eras Era - a long and distinct period of history with a particular feature or characteristic – Revolutionary Era is from – Early Republic is from

1.4 Social Sciences Economics Political Science Civics Anthropology, sociology, psychology Social Sciences – related to human society and social behavior

Economics The study of how people manage their limited resources to satisfy wants and needs – Make products for consumers – Earn profit – Trade with other nations

Political Science and Civics Political Science – the study of government Civics – the study of the rights and responsibilities of citizens

Anthropology, Sociology, and Psychology Anthropology – the study of how people and cultures develop Sociology – the study of how people behave and interact in groups Psychology – the study of how people think and behave