Unit 1 Geography

Activity 1

What is geography about?

What kinds of topics are covered in geography? List 10 different topics on your activity sheet.

Each member of the group must contribute ideas.

Whomever is the oldest in your group will be spokesperson for your group this time.

Mr. Poen will list topics on the board.

Activity 1 Directions Mr. P will assign small groups. In your desk racks you will find a geog. resource.

Everyone in your group may have a different resource. That’s great!

When directed, look through your source noticing what topics are studied in geography.

Define Geography

Still in your groups, develop a definition that the group can agree on.

Write it on your activity sheet. Each person will turn in their activity sheet. Congratulations for earning your first

grade in Social Studies!

Notes:Unit 1 Geography

I. DefinitionA. Geography is the study of the

earth’s structure, surface, and

place in space.1. It studies the people,

their environments, & their resources.

2. It includeslandforms, bodies

of water, climate,

internal forces, & placein space.

B. People who studyGeography are called:

geographers1. They ask how thenatural environmentaffects:

the way we live and how we affect the

environment.

2. How does geography

help historians understand

the past.

Geography holds clues to past events & cultures.

By showing how people and the land are related, geog. helps explain the past and the present.

II. Subject Areas

A. The study of

The physical features

of the planet including

landforms, and bodies

of water is

Physical

Geography

B. This is the study of how theenvironment and geog.

affects the people:

Cultural Geog.

C. This is the study of

weather.

Meteorology

D. This is the study

of climate (long

term weather patterns)

Climatology

E. This is the study of

the Earth’s

structure:

Geology

F. This studies the

earth’s place in

space. It also

includes othe

celestial bodies

such as moons,

planets, nebula,

comets, etc.

Astronomy

G. This studies maps

and map-making.

Cartography

H. This is the study of

the oceans and

other large bodies

of salt water:

oceanography

Think QuestionsWhich subject area of geog does each fit within? 1. Mining for coal 2. Migration pattern of Arctic herdsmen 3. Planning a vacation route 4. Storm chasers 5. Global warming trends 6. Dropping population of some fish species

in the oceans.

III. Five Themes of Geography To help show the connection between

geography and history, geographers have developed five themes.

A. These are:

-Location-Place

-Interaction between people & their

environment -Movement

-Region

B. Theme: Location

1. Answers /describes:

Where did an event happen?

Where is this place?

2. Two types: Absolute (exact) and Relative

3. Absolute (exact) Location:Tells exactly where

something is located.

4. Way to show this:Uses latitude and

longitude, which are terms used to describe the grid of numbered lines on a map or globe.

5. Relative location: tells the location in relation to something well known.

6. Ways to show this:Sometimes it

is more useful to know the relative location of a place, or its location in relation to some other place.

Is Washington D.C., on the east or west of the United States?

Manteno is 30 miles south of Chicago.

Review

Exact Location Tells exactly where

something is located. Uses latitude and

longitude

Relative Location Tells where

something is located in relation to another place.

C. Themes: Place & Region

1. Geographers generally describe a place in terms of

both physical and human features.

2. The physical features

of a place include

climate, soil, plant life, animal life, and bodies

of water.

For example: New England, has a ___ terrain, a ___ coast, and many deep harbors; because of this the region turned to ____ for a living.

3. People help shape the

character of a place through

their ideas and actions. The human features

of a place include:

the kinds of houses people build as well as their means of transportation, ways of earning a living, languages, and religions.

Think of human features of the American frontier. Major ways of making a living? Building practices?

How does Geog. influence the way of life here?

4. What is a region?

It is a large geographical area

with similar features and characteristics.

5. What are characteristics

of a region?

May be physical, such as its climate or landforms.

Example: The Great Plains is considered a region because it has fairly level land, very hot summers, very cold winters, and little rainfall.

May be human and cultural.

Many of the Russian provinces have different languages than the one spoken in the capital.

6. In what physical region

do we live?

Central Plains

D. Theme: Movement

1. Involves the movement

of three things:People

Goods

Ideas

2. Examples:

It occurs because people and resources are scattered unevenly around the globe.

To get what they need or want, people travel from place to place.

3. As people move, they

meet other people and

exchange…

ideas, technology,& goods.

E. Theme: How the people and their environment interact.

Three ways that

humans interact

with their environment:Humans adapt to their environment

Humans modify their environment

Humans depend on their environment

1. Examples: Adapt: learning how tofarm in ancient times;

-People no longer had to move from place to place

in search of food. Cities developed.Modify: Finding ways to irrigate in dry places.-Change unproductive

ground into farmland.Building bridges over rivers

& roads through mountains

Depend: use rivers to transport goods and people

use rivers and lakes for

water sources for drinking, recreation,

and household needs.

2. Due to advanced

technology people may

alter their environments

dramatically bydrilling and mining

cutting down forest to build communities

Eliminating pests that destroy

crops.

IV. Maps and Globes

A. Advantages of maps

over globes:

-May show a variety of information-population, natural resources-Can zoom in and show

great detail

-Easier to store & carry

B. Advantages of globes

over maps:

Globes show “true” land

shape, distances, &

directions.

Maps show distortion more than globes.

V. Kinds of MapsA. What do each type show?

1. Political

show man-made divisions such as countries and states

2. Physical

shows what the landforms and water features are like.

3. Special purpose mapsshow a very specific theme such

as population density, land use, transportation,

trade, etc.

Tea Production Land Use

III. The EarthA. What percent of the

Earth’s surface is

covered by land?

29%; 1/4

B. By water?

71%; 3/4

C. How many people

live on earth?

Over 6 1/2 Billion

D. The earth’s surface

is divided into pieces

called

Tectonic Plates

1. What is the Ring of Fire?

The Pacific Plate is

one of the most active plates.

It surrounds much of

the Pacific Ocean. It is the most active

earthquake/volcanic area.

2. Convergent Plates (Drawing)

3. What is made?

Mountains,

Volcanoes

Earthquake zone

4. Divergent Plates (Drawing)

5. What is made?

ocean trenches

earthquake zone

volcanoes

6. Transform Plates (Drawing)

7. What is made?

earthquake zone

Faults

E. Hemispheres

1. How much of a globe is one

hemisphere?½

2. How many hemispheres are there?

4Northern, Southern,Eastern, and Western

3. What latitude line

separates the Northern

& Southern Hems?

Equator

4. What longitude line

separates the Eastern

& Western?

Prime Meridian

5. In which 2 hems.

do we live?

Northern &

Western

F. Latitude and Longitude Skills

1. What are they for?

to show location

2. Latitude lines are

lines that go side

to side but

measure distance

North/South from

Equator.

3. Starting line:

Equator (0 degrees)

4. Lines of latitude

are called

Parallels

5. Longitude lines are lines that go

up and down but

measure distance

east and west of

the Prime Meridian

6. The starting line

for longitude is

the Prime Meridian

o degrees long.

7. Lines of longitude

are also called

meridians

F. Great Circles

1. What is a Great Circle?

Any line on a map or globe that divides

the earth into two equal halves.

2. What latitude line is

an example of a Great

Circle?

Equator

3. What about longitude

lines?

All longitude lines are Great Circles

4. Use of Great Circles?

air flight routes

Geog. Section 2

I. The Earth’s Surface

is covered by large

tectonic plates and

is divided into

large landmasses and

bodies of water called:

continents and oceans

A. Review Map To the best of your

ability, fill in the

continents and

oceans. Try to

spell them

correctly.

Check your answers and correctif needed: SPELLING TOO!

1. Australia2. Asia3. Europe4. Africa5. North America6. South America7. Antarctica

Oceans

A. Pacific Ocean

B. Atlantic Ocean

C. Indian Ocean

D. Arctic Ocean

II. Common Geog Features

A. Mountains and Hills

1. Elevation is:

the height that the

land rises above

surrounding land.

Mt. Rainier has an

elevation of

14,410 feet.

2. Relief refers to

the degree to

which land rises

from the surround-

ing land.

3. A mountain isan area that risesat least 2,000 ft.above the surrounding land.

Relief- It has moderate to

steep relief.4. A hill is

an area of raisedland that is less steep

and more rounded

than mountains.(less than 2000ft.)

5. Parts of this

American mountain

chain are technically

hills:

Appalachians

B. 2 Types of Mountains:

Structural Dissected.

1. Structural Mts.made by platemovement

and/ormagma. Examples:RockiesHimalayanMauna Loa

(Hawaii)

2. Dissected Mts. Devil’s Tower,

Wyoming

3. They are formed by

erosion

4. Erosion is

the gradual wear-

ing away of the

land.

5. Agents of erosion are

moving water

wind

ice/ glaciers

Plants-root pry

Animals

C. Tallest Mountains1. In the world:

Mt. Everest(29,029 ft. +)in the

Himalayas,Asia.

2. In North AmericaMt. McKinley(20, 320 ft.)Alaska

D. Advantages/disadvantages of Mountain Living

1. Advantages of

Mountain living

List 5

2. Disadvantages of

Mountain living:

List 5

Mt. St. Helens, 1980 Eruption

Bell Work for Sept.18

1. What is the name of the closest plateau area to where we live?

2. On what landform does the bulk of the world’s population live on?

3. Give 2 reasons why this is true.

E. Plateaus are large elevated

areas of flat or

gently rolling land

often close to hilly

or mountainous

regions.

1. Use page Ref. 5 to

find the plateau closest of

where we live:

Ozark Plateau

F. Plains are

areas of flat or

fairly level land.

1. On which landform

do we live? Ref. 5

Plains

2. Our region?

Central Plains

3. On which landformdoes the bulk of theworld’s population live?

Plains4. Reasons?

Flat land is easier to build on, farm,transport things, &has most of the rivers pass throughthem.

G. Peninsula is

land surrounded

on 3 sides by

water.

1. Examples?

Italy

Florida

H. Between an isthmus and

strait?

1. Isthmus is

a narrow strip of

land that separates

2 larger bodies of

land.

2. Example:

Panama

It connects

North and South

America.

3. Strait is a narrow strip of water

that connects 2 larger

bodies of water.

4. Example?

Bering Straitconnects Arctic andPacific Oceans

III. Which Ocean?A. Largest:

PacificB. Deepest

B. Pacific(36,198ft atMarianas Trench)Atlantic: 12,881 ftaverage to28,681

C. Smallest

Arctic

D. Most heavily traveled

Atlantic

E. Most hurricanes that

affect the U.S. coast

form in the

Atlantic

F. Longest river in world

Nile, Africa

4145 miles

Mississippi: 2348

Amazon: 3900

IV. Physical Regions & Features Maps

p REF 8-9

V. Climate and Weather

A. Weather is

the condition of the

atmosphere at the

present time or

short time in the

future.

1. Atmospheric conditions include:

temperature Precipitation Barometric

Pressure Relative

humidity clear cloudy

2. Relative humidity is theAmount of moisture in the air.

3. Precipitation is

forms of water that fall

from the sky.

4. Examples:

Rain,

sleet

snow

hail

Why are these weather statements?

Tomorrow there is a 40% chance of rain.It is 76 degrees, partly cloudy, and is 30% relative humidity.There is a slight risk of severe storms this

weekend.

B. Climate is the average

weather conditions

for an area taken

over a long period

of time.

average weather

patterns taken over

a period of 20-30+

years.

Average temp.

ranges

Average amount of

precipitation.

Why are these climate statements?

In Northern Illinois in June, the average amount of rainfall is 2.7 inches.

The average temperature range for Central

Illinois in June is a low of 68 degrees and a

High of 84 degrees.

Practice: Weather or Climate?

1. A TORNADO WATCH is in effect until

9 PM for all of East Central Iowa.

2. In Rome, Italy the average monthly temp.

in September is 80 degrees F.

3. The highest recorded temp. in the U.S. was at Death Valley, Ca. at 134 degrees.

4. In the Tropics, it is warm or hot all year round.

Bell Work Review for Sept. 25Write the answers on paper.

1. There are 5 factors which shape climate.

List 2.

2. Mountain climates as compared to lowland climates like ours are A)more wet; B)have about the same amount of precipitation; C)cooler; D)warmer.

3. Define altitude:

Bell Work Review for Sept. 25Write answers on paper:

Weather or Climate?

1. This is the average weather conditions for an area over a long period of time.

2. Hurricane Agnes threatens Bermuda in the next week.

3. The rainiest spot in the U.S. is Mt. Wai’ale’ale in Hawaii with 460 inches of rain per year.

VI. 5 Factors which Shape Climate

A. They are

Altitude

LatitudeBodies of land and water

Shifting pressure centers

Prevailing winds and

currents

B. Altitude is the height above

sea level.

1. What happens

to the temp. as

one rises up a

mountain?

The temp. drops 3.6

degrees/ 1000 feet

2. Mountain climates

are generally

_____ than lowland

climates.

cooler

See Flip chartLatitude: Climate Zones

D. Climate Zones

1. Tropics/tropical

climates are

warm/hot all year

round.

2. Polar climates are

cool/cold all year round

3. Temperate climates

are

warm/hot summers

& cool/cold winters

4. We live in

the Northern

Temperate Zone

E. Bodies of land and

Water

1. Land generally

heats and cools

faster than bodies

of water.

2. Water bodies

retain (keep) their

heat and cool more slowly

than land.

3. Air takes on the

characteristics of

the land/water it is

over.

4. Drawing

F. Pressure Centers

1. 2 types:

High

Low

2. Type of weather

associated with

Highs:

Clear/Fair

3. Type of weather

associated with

lows:

stormy

4. What is the line

separating 2 different

air masses called?

a front

5. A cold dry air mass

collides with a warm,

moist air mass. This

may create:

severe storms

6. Severe weather

watch: conditions are

favorable for

severe weather to

form.

7. Severe weather

warning:

actual severe

weather exists so

take precautions.

F. Severe Weather

Rules

School:

Go into hallway by

lockers away from

glass; not large roomDuck and cover

if necessary

Remain calm and

quiet

At home:

Go to the basement or

lowest level in a small

interior room away

from glass.

In a car:

Don’t try to outrun

a tornado. Pull over &

lie flat in a ditch.

Cover your head.

In a mobile home:

Go to a sturdy

storm shelter or lie

flat in a ditch.

Tornado Warning Safety RulesAt Home

1.////

2.////

3.////

H. Prevailing winds and

Currents

1. What effect on the

climate of Western

Europe does the

prevailing winds

blowing over the

warm Gulf Stream

Current have?

England & other

areas of Western

Europe have

warmer and more

wet climate.

Humid continental

VII. Climate TypesA. Our type:

Humid Continental

2. Characteristics:

mild summers

cold winters

Rainfall varies but

is heavier in the

summer than the

winter.

B. Main type for our Southern

States:

Humid Subtropical

C. Largest type in the west?

C. Largest type found

in the Western U.S.

Steppe

Semiarid

dry

D. Name 2 cold climates

tundra

subarctic

E. Tropical Rainforests/

jungles:

Tropical Wet

1. Where in the U.S.?

Hawaii

S tip of Florida