1. Unit 1: Thinking Geographically

2. Main ideas/questions:
Impacts and Interactions:
How do geographers use maps to help them discover patterns and relationships in the world?
Patterns and Spatial Organization:
Why do geographers study relationships and patterns among and between places?
The “why of where”
Spatial Processes and Societal Change:
How do geographers use a spatial perspective to analyze complex issues and relationships?

3. Introduction to maps and data
Geographers use maps and data to understand relationships of time, of space, and of scale

4. Types of Maps: . Reference Maps: Thematic Maps:
shows the location of the geographic areas for which census data are tabulated and disseminated.
display the boundaries, names and unique identifiers of standard geographic areas, as well as major cultural and physical features, such as roads, railroads, coastlines, rivers and lakes.
Thematic Maps:
type of map specifically designed to show a particular theme connected with a specific geographic area.

5. Spatial Patterns on Maps
Include both absolute and relative distance
A spatial pattern is a perceptual structure, placement, or arrangement of objects on Earth. It also includes the space in between those objects. 
Patterns may be recognized because of their arrangement:
Direction
Clustering
Dispersal
Elevation
Note:
All types of mas are selective in information:
Why do ALL maps exhibit some sort of distortion?
Map projections inevitably distort spatial relationships in space, area, distance, and direction because a curved surface cannot perfectly be represented on a flat surface

6. Examples of distortion

7. Practice:
Which statement best describes the relative location of Barcelona, Spain?
a miles west of Madrid and 645 miles south of Paris
b. On the Northeast Hemisphere
c. The capital of the Catalonia region
d. One of the largest cities in Spain

8. Mercator Peter
Which of the following is a characteristic of the Peter projection?
a. The size and shape of the countries in he higher latitudes are greatly exaggerated
b. The size of the countries are accurate, but the shape is distorted
c. Countries near the equator appear much larger than countries in higher latitudes
d. Distances on the Peter projection are accurate

9. geographic data collection:
Data can be collected in the field by organizations or by individuals.
National, state, and local governments; businesses
Geospatial technologies:
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Satellite navigation systems
Remote sensing
Online mapping
Geospatial and geographical data are used at all scales for personal, business, and governmental decision-making purposes.
Example: Census data or satellite imagery

10. How is census data used?
Census tracts: an area roughly equivalent to a neighborhood established by the Bureau of Census for analyzing populations. 
Enumeration area: the geographic area canvassed by one census representative. An EA is composed of one or more adjacent blocks.

11. Based on the information collected from the census form to the right, which of the following data could NOT be displayed on a map?
People that own their home
Population of female citizens
The number of people enlisted in the military
The amount of children attending public school
The population of minority citizens

12. How might government agencies use the census data displayed in the map?
To predict future voting patterns among citizens
To allocate resources and funding for ethnic and diversity training in schools
To determine the amount of homes needed to be built in the next 10 years
To understand income inequality in different regions

13. Spatial Concepts
Geographers analyze relationships among and between places to reveal important spatial patterns.

14. Spatial concepts: Absolute location Relative location Space Place
Flows
Distance-decay
Time-space compression
Patterns

15. Scales of analysis Scales of analysis used by geographers:
Global scale: Showing all or part the world
Regional scale: showing a part of the world
National scale: showing a country or part of a country
Local scale: showing counties of towns
What do scales of analysis reveal?
Patterns and processes at different scales reveal variations in, and different interpretations of, data

16. Patterns and processes at different scales reveal variations in, and different interpretations of, data

19. The mayor of a town want to use a map to plan where new roads need to be constructed to ease traffic congestion in his city. What would be the best scale for him to use?
a. 1:52,000 scale because it shows the entire region
b. 1:200,000 scale because it shows the entire region
c. 1:15,000 scale because it shows highly-detailed information about several streets
d. 1:20,000 scale because it shows the area within the boundaries of the city

20. Which of the following scales is most likely used in the informative map above?

21. Human-environment interaction
Relationships between nature and society include sustainability, natural resources, and land use.
Theories regarding the interaction of the natural environment with human societies:
Early theory: Environmental determinism
Later theory: Possibilism

22.
The images show California’s desert region and watershed areas and irrigation systems. Which of the following best describes the changes and the cause of the changes?
a. The expansion of cities throughout California, which resulted in large urban areas.
b. The expansion of irrigation systems due to the need for water in dry regions.
c. A decrease in water supply led to a decrease in population.
d. An increase in fertile land led to the growth of farming in the region.
e. An increase in population resulted in new irrigation systems.

23. Which of the following is reflected in diagram A?
Diagram A Diagram B
Which of the following is reflected in diagram A?
Distance decay
Spatial association
Geographic information systems
Environmental determinism
possibilism

24. Regional analysis
Geographers analyze complex issues and relationships with a distinctively spatial perspective.

25. Defining regions Regions are defined on the basis of Types of regions:
one of more unifying characteristics, OR
Patterns of activity
Types of regions:
Formal
Functional
Perceptual/vernacular
Regional boundaries are transitional, and often contested and overlapping.
Geographers apply regional analysis at local, national, and global scales.

26. The area shaded above is considered a perceptual region by all of the following except
a. High Protestant (Christian) population
b. Climate and land features
c. High population with large metropolitan areas
d. High concentration of conservative voters
e. Agriculturally predominant