1. Thinking Spatially

2. Spatial Thinking Geography is more than just names on a map
Spatial thinking --- the space on earth’s surface
Where places are
Why place are where they are

3. Ask Geographic Questions
Geographers use spatial thinking to understand the significance of a place
For example, New York’s location is important. Being near the water was good for trade.
Can you name any other places whose location is important?

4. Geographic Patterns Asking questions help geographers find patterns
Example: Cities near water
Geographic Information Systems (GIS): used to create maps and analyze patterns using many layers of data

5. The Five Themes of Geography Identification

6. 5 Themes & Geographic Questions
MOVEMENT
HUMAN
ENVIRONMENT/
INTERACTION
PLACE
LOCATION
REGION

7. Location – determining the position of a place on the earth’s surface
Absolute location – precise positioning – latitude and longitude are the best.
GIS gives this new meaning
Automobile systems linked to satellites
Relative location – describing in relation to other, known places such as landmarks and unusual, easily recognizable features.
Used by most people in giving directions

8. RELATIVE
ABSOLUTE
From UMSL, drive north on South Florissant Road through Ferguson. Continue north past I At the second stop light, you should see a log cabin and tennis court and large water tank on the left side of the road. Continue to the next street, St. Catherine. You will see a Sinclair Oil gas station on the left. Immediately across the street is a small strip shopping center. The center store is Old Town Donuts. Make a right turn into the parking lot and go in.
Where is 38º N and 95ºW?

9. Place – those features that give character to a location (a degree of uniqueness).
Physical place – natural features – what nature provides – climate, landforms, vegetation, etc.
Can many places no longer be called physical places – where might the human influence be absent today? This relates to the theme of human/environment interaction.
Human (cultural) place – features added by humans – distinctive dress, architecture, language, religion, burial practices, agricultural practices, etc.

10. HUMAN PLACE PHYSICAL PLACE
PRODUCED BY HUMANS
Distinctive type of boat associated with south Pacific islands
CREATED MAINLY BY NATURE
Arid area with exotic stream at the foot of a great escarpment or mountain range.

11. HUMAN PLACE PHYSICAL PLACE
CREATED BY NATURE
Volcanic mountains which influence soil fertility and present hazardous living conditions
PRODUCED BY HUMANS
Distinctive type of dress, musical instrument & music

12. Human/Environment Interaction
Human adaptations to natural conditions.
Heavy coats in winter
Elevated housing in areas prone to flooding
Changes in natural conditions made by humans.
Digging canals
Changing the vegetation – farming, etc.

13. HUMANS ADAPT - HUMANS CHANGE
Humans had to adapt their construction methods to the arctic environment when they built the Alaska pipeline.
Faster, easier transportation was important enough for them to construct tunnels through the mountains.

14. Humans change things
The Netherlands versus the Sea. Humans have reclaimed land from the sea at least for now

15. Movement – the transfer of material and non material things from place to place
Material things – involving tangible objects transported in a variety of ways
Animal and animal-powered means
Land, water, and air vehicles
Non-material things – information, power, culture traits
Fashions, trends, fads, etc.
Electronic media, etc.

16. MATERIAL NONMATERIAL
Material objects (cargo & passengers) are transferred from one place to another by an airplane.
Nonmaterial entity (data, pictures, & conversations) move invisibly from one place to many others.

17. Regions – mental constructs expressing some commonality or uniformity
Formal Regions – possesses a single common feature or a limited combination of features throughout the area
Political units such as states and counties
Functional Regions – An operational unit based on organization, structure, and interactions
The hinterland of a major city

18. FORMAL REGION
The different colors stand for territory added to Russia during different periods of time. The common feature for each color is the time period in which it was added to Russia.

19. FUNCTIONAL REGION
Coal mining is at the heart of the economy of all these counties. Many factors are related to the coal mining industry. The deposits influence movement and settlement patterns.

20. Different sets of criteria produce different versions of a region
Common core area
All three are anchored around a core area, but the peripheral areas of the regions differ markedly.

21. Human Place & Interaction

22. Physical Place

23. Human/ Environment Interaction and Human Place

24. Movement, Interaction, Urban Region,

25. Movement, interaction, physical place (distance), human place foreground?????????

26. Physical place

27. Physical place,

28. Interaction, Physical place, movement

29. Human place, physical place

30. Human place

31. Human place

32. Absolute location, relative location

33. Human place

34. Human place, interaction

35. Physical place, interaction????? – banana trees? -- plantation edge???????

36. Human place, movement, relative location if flag is recognizqable

37. Physical place, human place, interaction, movement

38. Human place, interaction

39. Human place, movement

40. Physical place, movement, interaction,

41. Interaction, movement

42. Human place, relative location, movement, interaction

43. Human place, relative location

44. Interaction, movement, human place, physical place

45. Six Essential Elements
Some geographers identify essential elements to study physical processes and human systems.
The World in Spatial Terms
Places and Regions
Physical Systems
Human Systems
Environment and Society
The Uses of Geography

46. World Regions

47. Regions and Continents
Geographers divide the world into different regions
Each regions is shaped by shared physical and human processes
Region: group of places with common traits
Ex. Trade, culture, and other human activities

48. Regions and Continents
Regions usually include an entire continent
Continent: large landmass on Earth’s surface (7)
Geographers also study things like ocean currents or how one region affects another

49. Regions and Continents
11 Regions we will study:
North America
Central American and the Caribbean
South America
Europe
Russia and the Eurasian Republics
Southwest Asia and North Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
South Asia
East Asia
Southeast Asia
Australia, the Pacific Realm, and Antartica