Lesson 1.2

What is geography?

Why is it important?

Geography

Geography is the study of Earth's natural and human-made features. When geographers study a place, they usually want to know things like, does it have mountains? Is its climate cold? How many people live there? Geographers also want to know its location, or where it is on Earth. Geographers use relative location and absolute location to determine where something is in the world.

Click on the vocab words to learn more

Geographers Tools

Maps

GPS (Global Positioning System)

GIS (Geographic Information System)

Compass

Weather Instruments

Click on the words to learn more

Can you guess the countries below?

China

India

Italy

Germany

Label the parts of a map...

Title

Symbol

Compass Rose (Cardinal Directions)

Scale

Legend

Click on the vocab words to learn more then drag them to label the map.

Physical Features

Imagine yourself outside. In the distance are towering mountains that seem to touch the sky. There is a lush green forest teemng with life. Mighty rivers carve their way through the terrain. This is what we think of when it comes to physical geography.

If you had to describe this image in three words, what would they be?

Human Features

These include tall skyscrapers, road systems, airports, and all of those items that people have made. Humans have shaped the landscape through architecture and infrastructure.

Cultural Features

There are many different cultures that make up our world. Each full of colorful festivals, mouth watering cuisine, and unique traditions. These cultures have learned to adapt to their environments. Example: Nomadic tribes have learned to rely on fishing for their food source.

What do you think is going on in this image?

Answer

Vocabulary Practice- Label the different features

Equator

Prime Meridian

Cardinal Directions

Drag the words to the map. Click on the words for a definiton

Types of Maps

Physical Maps

Political Maps

Thematic Maps

Label the maps below

Physical Map

Political Map

Analyzing maps can help explain relationships between people, places, and regions.

Geographers use maps to answer questions about the world. Questions like how many people live in a certain area or how many languages are spoken in a particular country can be answered by looking at maps about those topics. But what if geographers want more specific information about the people within a country, such as how much money people in the United States earn? Maps can help geographers find or present that information as well.

According to this map, which of the listed states has the highest household income?

A. California B. New Mexico C. Pennsylvania D. Arkinsas

Answers

Uh oh.... a unicorn in on the loose at Reach Cyber Charter School!!!!!

Use the magnifying glass to find the mini unicorn

Absolute Location

84.9834° N, 35.6543° W

56.3345° N, 85.7654° W

8 miles from the post office

Relative Location

OR

Drag the locations to their correct category

Click the words for a definition

Alexandria is in northern Egypt, near the Mediterranean Sea.

Paris, France, is located at 48° N and 2° E.

The Yummy Yogurt Yurt is located at 5521 N. Clinton Street.

PRACTICE: Finding the absolute location on a map...

40 N, 160 W20 S, 20 E 10 S, 40 W

Exit ticket

START

BOWLing

Absolute Location

Relative Location

Average Location

1

50 N, 140 W is an example of __________

verygood!

next question

Strike!

2

Absolute Location

Average Location

Relative Location

30 miles from Erie, PA is an example of ____________

next question

very good!

Strike!

3

Political Map

Human Map

Physical Map

A _______ map shows mountains, rivers, and landforms

next question

very good!

Strike!

4

Average Directions

Cardinal Directions

Relative Directions

_______ are North, South, East, West

next question

very good!

Strike!

5

United States

Germany

Canada

_________ is shown on the map

Well done!

START OVER?

TRY AGAIN

ohNo!

Thematic maps are also called special purpose maps and focus on a specific subject area or type of information. For example, a special purpose map might focus on a state's economic activity, the languages spoken in a country, or the average rainfall in a particular region. This information is often represented in a choropleth map, which uses different colors and shades to show data.

Political maps show human-made borders or units, such as countries, states, and regions. Colors are often used to separate different units and make these maps easier to read.

Physical maps show the natural features of Earth, such as mountains, valleys, rivers, and oceans. On physical maps, differences in elevation, or height, are indicated by color. The map legend explains what each color means.

Divides the earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres

Prime Meridian

39.9526° N, 75.1652° W

Absolute Location

The exact location of a place, often defined using the coordinates of latitude and longitude.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS): GIS software enables geographers to analyze, manipulate, and visualize geographic data layers, making it a powerful tool for spatial analysis.

This is of a wedding party in India

Relative Location

80 miles outside of Harrisburg

The location of a place that is defined by where it is in relation to another place. For example, the country of Mexico is south of the United States.

Physical maps show the natural features of Earth, such as mountains, valleys, rivers, and oceans. On physical maps, differences in elevation, or height, are indicated by color. The map legend explains what each color means.

GPS (Global Positioning System): GPS technology allows geographers to accurately determine and record the coordinates (latitude and longitude) of specific locations on the Earth's surface.

Political maps show human-made borders or units, such as countries, states, and regions. Colors are often used to separate different units and make these maps easier to read.

Relative Location

A description of how a place is related to other places.

The Empire State Building is 227 miles North of The White house.

Geography-

The study of Earth's physical and human-made features.

Cardinal Directions

A compass rose displays the cardinal directions — north (N), south (S), east (E), and west (W) — on the map.

Cardinal Directions

The four main points on a compass North South EastWest

A compass rose displays the cardinal directions — north (N), south (S), east (E), and west (W) — on the map.

A legend explains what the symbols, lines, and colors on the map mean. On this map, the star indicates the Florida state capital, the circles show the major cities, and the squares show major tourist attractions in the state. The legend is sometimes also called a key.

Absolute Location

The exact location of a place based on the geographic grid system or coordinates- latitudes and longitudes

New York City (40° 42′ N, 74° 0′ W) The Eiffel Tower (48° 51′ N, 2° 17′ E) The Great Pyramid of Giza (29° 58′ N, 31° 8′ E) The Empire State Building (40.7° N, 74° W) The United States Capitol (38.8899° N, 77.0091° W)

Equator

Divides the earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres

39.9526° N, 75.1652° W

Absolute Location

The exact location of a place, often defined using the coordinates of latitude and longitude.

Possible Answers 1. Absolute Location: "I'd use a GPS tracker to pinpoint the exact coordinates of the unicorn's last known location."2. Relative Location: "I'd ask my friend Sally because she saw the unicorn near the cafeteria yesterday, and I know the cafeteria is next to the gym, so I'd start there."3. Silly Response: "I'd follow the trail of glitter and rainbow-colored hoofprints until I find the unicorn, of course!"4. Creative Response: "I'd create a unicorn call and play it loudly on a speaker to attract the unicorn to my location."

Maps: Maps are essential for visualizing and representing geographic information. Geographers use different types of maps, such as topographic maps, political maps, and thematic maps, to study various aspects of the Earth's surface.

Most maps have a title that explains the map's purpose. The title will usually be descriptive and might even contain a date. The title here tells us that this is a map showing the different regions of Florida. The regions are outlined in yellow on the map.

A scale shows you how much a smaller unit of measurement on the map represents on Earth. For example, the scale on this map shows that 1 inch represents 100 miles. The scale helps you find the actual distances between points on the map.

Weather Instruments: Instruments like barometers, anemometers, and thermometers are used to monitor and record weather conditions, aiding in climatology and meteorology research.

Compass: A compass helps geographers determine direction and navigate in the field.

The star over Tallahassee is a symbol. According to the legend, this star indicates the state capital of Florida.

Relative Location

80 miles outside of Harrisburg

The location of a place that is defined by where it is in relation to another place. For example, the country of Mexico is south of the United States.

Prime Meridian

Divides the earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres

Equator An imaginary line drawn around the earth equally distant from both poles. Divides the earth into the Northern and Southern Hemisphere