1. Conditions and Connections
© 2010 P Gersmehl, Michigan Geographic Alliance
Geographic
Conditions and Connections
In this lesson, you will learn
how to tell the difference
between a geographic condition
and a geographic connection
(and why the difference is important).

2. The place you are about to investigate
is a real place,
at a real time in history.

3. The place you are about to investigate is a real place,
at a real time in history.
One of your goals
is to try to figure out
where in the world this is.
We are keeping its identity secret, for now,
in order to focus on a more important question.

4. Here is the big question: How do people decide where to locate a town
at a particular moment in time?

5. how you are making a decision, what decision you are making
In other words,
you should think about
how you are making a decision,
not just
what decision you are making

6. You are looking for a place to built a fortified city
some time after Columbus sailed to America.
Here is a map of the area around your homeland.
You do not
have a cell phone !
The mapmaker followed
the general rule in choosing colors:
make the water blue and the land green
(even though we know that all land is not green,
and all water is not blue!)
The map shows
a small continent
(about the size of
Australia or Brazil)
and a large island.

7. Which one would you vote for? Why?
Your scouts suggest these four places
as possible locations for your new city/fort.
Which one would you vote for? Why? D C B A

8. Advantage ? Disadvantage ?
Asking you to vote after looking at a simple map
exposes the basic dilemma of a democracy:
Advantage ?
Disadvantage ?

9. Advantage: people cannot blame anyone else
Asking you to vote after looking at a simple map
exposes the basic dilemma of a democracy:
Advantage: people cannot blame anyone else
when they get what they voted for.
Disadvantage ?:

10. Advantage: people cannot blame anyone else
Asking you to vote after looking at a simple map
exposes the basic dilemma of a democracy:
Advantage: people cannot blame anyone else
when they get what they voted for.
Disadvantage: it takes time and effort
to gain the knowledge needed
to cast an informed vote.

11. D C B A Here is that map again, with your five choices on it.
What else would you like to know? D C B A

12. Before we look at more maps,
perhaps we should make sure
that we all know what is meant
by the concept of “location.”

13. To a geographer, the idea of location has two parts:
The Conditions
in a specific place,
right there

14. To a geographer, the idea of location has two parts:
Cold
Bears
Catholic
To a geographer,
the idea of location
has two parts:
Low Hills
The Conditions
in a specific place,
Iron ore
Sandy
Trees
Spanish

15. To a geographer, the idea of location has two parts:
The Conditions
in a specific place,
Can you name a kind of place condition
that did not flash on the screen?

16. To a geographer, the idea of location has two parts:
Road
Wind
Far from camp
To a geographer,
the idea of location
has two parts:
The Conditions
in a specific place,
Trade
Alliance
Canal
The Connections
with other places
Upstream

17. To a geographer, the idea of location has two parts:
Can you name
any kind of connection
that did not flash
on the screen?
To a geographer,
the idea of location
has two parts:
The Conditions
in a specific place,
The Connections
with other places

18. Upstream from swamp Good well water Part of NATO Level land for house
To make sure you understand the distinction,
here is a quick review. When you click, a phrase
will flash on the screen. Decide whether the phrase
is a geographic condition or connection. Then click.
Upstream from swamp
Good well water
Part of NATO
Level land for house
Close to town
Fertile soil
Geographic
Condition
Geographic
Connection

19. D C B A Here is that simple map again,
with the four suggested locations for your city/fort. D
Is it easier to see
geographic conditions or
geographic connections
on a simple map
like this one? C B A

20. Would you still vote for the same place?B A

21. Would you still vote for the same place?B
Let’s add
three facts.
Suppose “you”
lived on some
good land here. A

22. D C B A Would you still vote for the same place? US N Let’s add
three facts.
Suppose “you”
lived on some
good land here. A
You have
“neighbors”
who live here.
Their land is
not so good.
But in general,
they are allies,
not enemies.
For many centuries,
they have occasionally
tried to steal or capture
your resources.

23. Would you still vote for the same place?
The people
on the island
could be a
bigger problem.
Their land
is really bad,
and they live
by trading
(and raiding). D C US B N A

24. of people thinking about geographic connections?
Why is that location
a good illustration
of people thinking about geographic connections?
To protect
their homeland,
the island people
built a fort here. D C US B N A

25. Which location would you choose for your city/fort?
What else
would you
like to know? D C
Using that fort
as a base, the
island people
have invaded
“your” continent. US B N A

26. Which location would you choose for your city/fort?
The map
now shows
major rivers. C US B N A

27. Which location would you choose for your city/fort?
Green stripes
show good
cropland. C US B N A

28. Which location would you choose for your city/fort?
We’ve added
mountains
to the map. C US B N A

29. D C B A Which location (A, B, C, or D) has the best conditions?
Which location (A, B, C, or D) has the best connections? D C US B N A

30. As we said, this is a real place.
Do you know where it is? D C US B N A

31. A B C D

32. Let’s use a few photos to make a summary.
Vienna has been important since Roman times, because it has such a strategic location,
where the Danube River (#1 in Europe)
cuts through the mountains.

33. Here is a hint of the wealth that was concentrated in Vienna: the
“summer cottage” of the Hapsburg rulers.
1443 rooms

34. Vienna remains a major political center.
The United Nations has many offices
in this group of modern buildings.

35. In this lesson, we learned how to save a lot of time and effort.
If you know how to think about
geographic conditions and connections,
you can understand why:
1) Istanbul was an important city
for thousands of years.
2) Venice was an important port
in the era of sailing ships.
3) Poland was a great place to live,
but a difficult place to defend.
4) Vienna was a key battleground
in many different wars.