1. Geography
Unit 1A
Chapter 1
Geographers
Toolbox

2. Thinking Globally “Geo”-earth “graphy”-to write
Geographers ask “where” things are and “why” they are there
Geography-The study of the distribution and interaction of physical and human features on the earth.

3. Geography Physical Geography-focus on natural environment.
The earth’s natural phenomena, like soil, plants, climate and topography.
This is what most think of when they think Geography.
Human Geography-focus on people.
Processes, and locations of the earth’s human creations and their interactions.
Both are concerned with the central “why of where” question

4. Looking at the earth Continents County State/province/territory
Islands
Oceans

5. The World

6. The Science of Mapmaking
Cartographer-A person who makes maps
How do you know where things are without a map?

7. Maps and Map Symbols
Scale
Compass Rose
Symbols
Title
Key/Legend
Color

8. Maps Maps-a two dimensional or flat scale model of the earth’s surface
Globe-scale model of the earth
Great Circle Route-shortest distance between 2 points on the earth

9. Types of Maps
During the course of the year we will look at all types of maps, here are a few:
Thematic
Flow-line
Chloropleth
Dot Density
Proportional
Symbol thematic
Reference
Isoline Thematic
Cognative or mental maps

10. Map Projections
Projections are the scientific method of transferring locations on the Earth’s surface to a flat map.
Think of a projection of making the skin of an orange lay flat.
Four types of distortions can occur:
1. shape of an area is distorted.
2. distance between two points may increase or decrease.
3. relative size of different areas may be altered.
4. Direction from one place to another can be distorted.

12. Classes of Maps
Cylindrical (compromise)-shows true direction but loses distance.
Planar-shows true direction and examines the earth from one point.
Conic-cone over the earth, loses direction but keeps distance intact.
Oval-combination of cylindrical and conic
Azimuthal map is planar, Mollenwide is oval

13. Contemporary Tools for Mapping
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Remote Sensing
Global Positioning Systems (GPS)
Information on a location is stored in layers.
Layers can be viewed individually or combined.
Remote sensing satellites scan the earth.
Google maps
Accurately determines the precise position of something on earth.
Originally designed for aircraft and ships, now available for autos.

14. Get out your notebook
Put yourself in groups of 3. HURRY! DO THIS BEFORE THE TARDY BELL RINGS!

15. Analyze your picture: What do you see in the picture?
What do you think is "different" in the picture?
Does this look like everywhere else in the world?
What affects the “look” of this place?
Is the location of this place important?
If I were trying to get to this place, how I might I travel there?

16. Warm-UP
Describe Manvel High School using the 5 Themes of Geography- there should be a characteristic for each Theme

17. Human/Environment Interactions Regions Place Movement
Five Themes of Geography
Location
Human/Environment Interactions
Regions
Place
Movement

18. Location How do Geographers know where things are?
Absolute Location: refers to a position on the global grid.
Relative Location: a location as described in relation to places around it.

19. Absolute or Mathematical Location
Mathematical location-location described by meridians and parallels, otherwise known as latitude and longitude.
Absolute location is unique for each place on earth.
The absolute location of the ACC radio tower.
Latitude: 29-24'02'' N Longitude: '14'' W

20. Latitude and Longitude
Meridians or longitude
Parallels or Latitude
Prime Meridian
GMT-Greenwich Mean Time
International Date line
Equator
Hemispheres

23. Latitude and Longitude

24. Place-Unique location of a feature
Why is each point on Earth Unique? Four ways to identify a place on earth by it’s location. 1. Place name Toponym or name to distinguish them from others. Some names reflect history—New York Some reflect the founder-Alvin-Alvin Morgan Some are reflective-Three Rivers

25. Site 2. Site- physical character of a place Climate Topography soil
water resources
Vegetation
elevation .

26. Situation 3. Situation-location of a place relative to another place.
This characteristic refers to relative location.

27. Human Environment Interaction
People and their environment.

28. Environmental Modification
Changes to environment to suit people.

29. Movement Interconnections between areas
What connects people and places
How do people move from one place
To another?

30. Regions
The organization of the earth’s surface into distinct areas that are viewed as different from other areas.

31. Types of regions There are three types of regions: Formal region
Functional Region
Vernacular or perceptual region

32. Formal Region Other wise known as uniform or homogeneous region.
Everyone within the region shares in common one or more distinctive characteristics.
Creation of a state or province is a formal region

33. Formal regions The North America Wheat Belt is a formal region.
Persons in the USA who vote Republican or Democratic .

34. Functional Region
Functional or Nodal Regions are organized around a core, node or focal point.
Geographers use functional regions to display information about economic areas.
Newspaper circulation
TV Station reception area
People in our are who follow the Texans.

35. Functional region
The core area has distinct characteristics that lessen in intensity as one travels to the periphery, or the region’s margins.
Traveling West from Denver
persons will venture to the
periphery of Salt Lake City.

36. Perceptual or Vernacular Regions
They are places that people believe to exist as part of their cultural identity.
The reflect feelings and images more than any objective reality.

37. Regions
Emerging mega regions of the USA

38. Globalization
A force or process that involves the entire world and results in making something worldwide in scope.
Human activities are rarely confined to one location.
Multinational Corporation-located in
more than one country. Can affect the
culture of other nations.

39. Distribution Distribution-the arrangement of a feature in space
Density-frequency in which something occurs .

40. Distribution, cont.
Concentration-the extent of a features spread over space.
Are they clustered (close together)?
Are they dispersed (far apart) ?
Concentration is not the same as density. You can have the same density but different concentrations. Think housing in communities.

41. Distribution, cont.
Pattern-the geometric arrangement of objects in space.
Some are geometric-houses on a street are linear.
Some are random and irregular

42. China

43. Spatial interaction
Historically-settlers, explorers created interaction between locations
Today- Airplanes, computers, Television, internet
Distance Decay-the farther away one group is from another group, the less likely they are to interact with each other. Electronic communication Has lessened this concept.

44. Diffusion of culture and economy
North America, Western Europe and Japan are the centers of global culture and economy.