Social Studies 7th Grade

tHE gEOGRAPHER'S WORLD

How Geographers View the World

lESSON 1

BRAINSTORMING

For you... What are Location, Place, Region, and Human Environment?

INTRODUCTION

An understanding of the world is based on a combination of information from many sources. Biology is the study of how living things survive and relate to one another. History is the study of events that occur over time and how those events are connected. Geography is the study of Earth and its peoples, places, and environments. Geographers look at people and the world in which they live mainly in terms of space and place. They study such topics as where people live on the surface of Earth, why they live there, and how they interact with each other and the physical environment.

THINKING SPATIALLY

Physical features such as mountains and lakes can be located on a map. These features can be measured in terms of height, width, and depth. Distances and directions to other features can be determined. The human world also has spatial dimensions. Geographers study the size and shape of cities, states, and countries.

PERSPECTIVE OF PLACE

Locations on Earth are made up of different combinations of physical and human characteristics. Physical features such as climate, landforms, and vegetation combine with human features such as population, economic activity, and land use. These combinations create what geographers call places.

The Five Themes of Geography

1. Location

4. Human-Environment Interaction

2. Place

3. Region

5. Movement

1. Location

Location is where something is found on Earth. There are two types of locations:-Relative Location describes where a place is compared to another place. This approach often uses the cardinal directions— north, south, east, and west. A school might be on the east side of town. -Absolute Location is the exact location of something. An address like 123 Main Street is an absolute location.

Geographers identify the absolute location of places using a system of imaginary lines called latitude and longitude.

Lines of latitude run east to west, but they measure distance on Earth in a north-to-south direction. Lines of longitude run from north to south, but they measure distance on Earth in an east-to-west direction.

Place andregion

Another theme of geography is place. The features that help define a place can be physical or human. Places that are close to one another and share some characteristics belong to the same region. The region is defined using physical characteristics. Regions can also be defined by human characteristics.

Human-Environment INTERACTION

People and the environment interact. That is, they affect each other. The physical characteristics of a place affect how people live. Flat, rich, well-watered soil is good for farming. Mountains full of coal can be mined. The environment can present all kinds of hazards, such as floods, droughts, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. These are some aspects that we find inside of a human environment: Landforms Climate Resources

Human-Environment INTERACTION

Movement

Geographers also look at how people, products, ideas, and information move from one place to another. People have many reasons for moving. Some move because they find a better job

The Six Essential Elements

in Geography

The five themes are one way of thinking about geography. Geographers also divide the study of geography into six essential elements. Elements are the topics that make up a subject. Calling them essential means they are necessary to understanding geography.

How will studying geography help you DEVELOP SKILLS FOR EVERYDAY LIFE?

Interpreting Visuals

Critical Thinking

tHE gEOGRAPHER'S WORLD

The Geographer's Tools

lESSON 2

What is the difference between globes and maps?

Globes

The most accurate way to show places on Earth is with a globe. Globes are the most accurate because globes, like Earth, are spheres; that is, they are shaped like a ball. As a result, globes represent the correct shapes of land and bodies of water. They show distances and directions between places more correctly than flat images of Earth.

If you close your eyes, you can probably see your neighborhood in your mind. When you do, you are using a mental map. You are forming a picture of the buildings and other places and where each is located in relation to the others.

The most accurate way to show places on Earth is with a globe. Globes are the most accurate because globes, like Earth, are spheres; that is, they are shaped like a ball. As a result, globes represent the correct shapes of land and bodies of water. They show distances and directions between places more correctly than flat images of Earth.

Maps

Maps are not round like globes. Instead, maps are flat representations of the round Earth. They might be sketched on a piece of paper, printed in a book, or displayed on a computer screen. Wherever they appear, maps are always flat.

Thanks