Pre-Geography Writing 5 minutes Respond to the following question in 4-5 complete sentences. Prepare to discuss! What can we learn from a map?

5 Themes of Geography

Location Absolute Location Relative Location

Absolute Location

The exact location of a place using latitude/longitude coordinates or street address BrainPop!

Relative Location Relative location is the location of a place in relation to other landmarks. One way to describe relative location is using distance. For example – Lexington is about 11 miles away from of the city of Boston.

Relative Location Another way to describe relative location is by using close by land marks. Example: Lexington is near the historic town of Concord

Relative Location You can also describe relative location using time. Example: Lexington is about a thirty minute drive from Boston

Relative Location Lastly, relative location can be described using direction. Example: Lexington is west of the Atlantic coast.

Group Activity - Relative Location Describe the relative location of Lexington. Keep adding to your list until I ask you to share.

Physical and Human Characteristics Physical Characteristics: The characteristics describing a place that are found in nature Human Characteristics: The characteristics describing a place that have been created by humans

On a piece of scrap paper, jot down the human characteristics and the physical characteristics that you notice in each picture.

Place

Place

Place

Place Examples of physical characteristics –climate, landforms, bodies of water, plants and animal life Examples of human characteristics –Man-made objects like buildings or cars, languages, religions, industries, government systems, political boundaries (like the borders of a city)

Human or Physical Characteristics? The Gulf of Mexico Sugar Maple Trees in a forest A Maple sugar house in a forest Wind and snow at the top of Mount Everest Smog in Los Angeles, CA The Nile River A man-made dam on the Nile River

Place Activity Take out blue worksheet in the bin Think of a place outside of Lexington that you have visited. Please read the directions and complete the activity. Color pencils are in the bins too! Once you complete, please share with your tablemates and describe your place.

Region A Region is an area that has common characteristics. These characteristics may be physical or human

Physical Regions Physical regions can be deserts, mountains, grasslands, and rain forests. Examples: -White Mountains of New Hampshire -Amazon rain forest.

Human Regions Human regions may have to do with aspects of culture such as religion, language, or industry. Examples: -Islamic countries of north Africa (religious region) -The French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec (language region) -Silicon Valley, California (industrial region)

Are these regions human or physical? The Great Lakes region The Rocky Mountains Fishing towns on the coast of Maine Chinatown in Boston The Nile River valley Milan, Italy: the fashion capital of the world Red Sox Nation

Movement Goods, ideas, and people can move.

Goods When goods move, it is called trade. Trade is the action of buying and selling goods and/or services.

Exports are goods or services that are sent out of a region to other places in the world. Imports are goods or services that are sent into a region from other parts of the world.

Common U.S. Exports Machinery, engines, oil, electronic equipment, medical equipment, food products Common U.S. Imports Oil, foreign cars, electronics, drugs/medicines, spices, food products

Movement of Ideas When ideas spread from one culture to another, it is called cultural diffusion.

How do the following pictures picture show movement of ideas or cultural diffusion?

Movement of People A person who leaves their native homeland to move somewhere else is called an immigrant. BrainPop!

Human/Environmental Interaction People can adapt to the environment People can change the environment People can depend on the environment

Which type of interaction?

Human/Environmental Interaction Human/Environmental Interaction What are some ways you adapt to your environment? What are some ways you change your environment? What are some ways you depend on your environment?