1. Standard 10: CHARACTERISTICS, DISTRIBUTION, AND COMPLEXITY OF EARTH’S CULTURAL MOSAICS
Map of Indian Tribes in the US from:
Think of 3-5 ‘cultures’ or ‘subcultures’ in the US? How do you identify yourself culturally? (Ex: Different racial categories; senior citizen population; gay & lesbian populations; immigrant populations; different religious groups (some religions such as Mormons, Jews, and Amish are often called ‘socio-religious’ groups because members of these groups’ identity is closely linked to their religious philosophy); and so on.
‘Culture’ is a complex term, and refers to a group of people’s way of life; their commonalities, philosophies, religions, politics, social structure, economics, arts, and the norms of behavior in any given place or region.
People around the world identify with one or more cultural groups depending on where and how they grow up. It is shaped in part by the society, politics, history, geography, religion, and so on in which we are raised. It is what we pass on to our children and future generations.

2. Expressions of Culture

3. Characteristics, Distribution, and Complexity of Earth’s Cultural Mosaics
One’s culture will influence how a group of people practice agriculture, or how its social, educational, and political systems are laid out, or what its perspective toward women or other groups is, how it celebrates, how it mourns, and so on.
Culture, then, influences our built environment as well. A people’s culture will be reflected in both its rural and urban landscapes.
When those diverse and distinct landscapes are next to each other, or overlap with one another they form a ‘mosaic’ or a ‘salad’ or a ‘melting pot’, or a complicated ‘puzzle’.

4. Composite of Faces from: http://www. cpcpc
Book cover of the Mapping Workbook for Diversity Amid Globalization from:
Book cover for the Atlas of Hispanic-American History from:
“In 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim a week in September as National Hispanic Heritage Week. The observance was expanded in 1988 to a month-long celebration (Sept. 15-Oct. 15). [of] … the culture and traditions of U.S. residents who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2004, Sept.)”
We can examine ‘culture’ from all spatial scales.
That is, we can look at a ‘global culture’, the ‘human race’ and its characteristics. Then, geographers divide the world into ‘regions’ based on both the physical and the cultural features that unify them. We move to scales such as nations/countries and examine those characteristics that unify and identify the peoples that dwell in those places, and then, we can look at and examine even smaller units or ‘subcultures’ of a given place.
So, in this country, we are Americans, and then perhaps African Americans or Hispanic Americans or senior citizens, and so on.
With human migration, technologies like transportation and communication, and increased human interaction, we often say that the world is becoming smaller. It is unlikely that we will live our lives surrounded by people who are exactly like us in all ways. Therefore, it is important that geography teachers and students understand and appreciate cultural diversities.
Photo of senior couple from talk radio station:
“One of the reasons Americans are living longer is they are in better physical condition than were their parents, primarily because today’s senior citizens are more aware of the need for exercise.”
“A culture of global citizenship is a vital aspect of developing a peaceful and prosperous human civilization. A diverse assortment of ancient and more recent civilizations are converging into one universal and divine civilization.”

5. Language and Culture
To know a language, especially a second or third language is to ‘know another world’ culturally. Language is rich in nuances and understanding, that, if you know it well, you have many insights into the culture and the history of people who use a particular language.
Language is a unifying characteristic of many cultures.
There is a language debate going on in the United States. While there is no official language of the United States, there are several state governments that have passed ‘English Only’ legislation.
Another example from North America is in Canada where the French-speaking Quebecois and English-speaking people in Quebec sometimes cannot agree on which language to speak
Maps of “Leading Language Spoken at Home Other than English” and “State Language Legislation, 2003” from:

6. Institutions/Politics/Religion/Beliefs/Family
Institutions shape the ways in which people organize the world around them; for example, sets of laws, educational systems, political arrangements, and the structure of a family shape a culture region.
The Mormon culture region of the western United States shows how institutions are embodied in a distinctive place, demarcating it and influencing practically every aspect of daily life.
Map of Mormon Trail from:
“The LDS religion grew rapidly after 1830, in part because of a strong emphasis on proselytizing. However, the Mormons experienced much persecution for their divergent beliefs and economic strength and were forced to relocate several times. In 1847, lead by Brigham Young, a large group of Mormons settled in the Wasatch Valley of Utah, with the intent of creating a new and independent country. Polygamy (plural wives) was introduced at this time to compensate families for the loss of many male heads of households during the westward migration. As a condition for the admission of Utah as a US state, the LDS Church banned polygamy in 1890, although it is still practiced by offshoot groups in some rural areas in Utah and the border regions of neighboring states. In 1869, the first transcontinental railroad was completed with spurs from Sacramento (California) and St. Louis (Missouri) meeting in the Wasatch Valley, just northwest of Salt Lake City.”
SB1070 poster from:

7. Culture & Technology
Photo of Hohokam Indians’ Irrigation Canals from:
Clip Art of Cotton Gin from:
Bill Gates photo and Computer from:
Photo of the Tesla Roadster from:

8. Photo of Cultures/Religions from: http://abcnews. go. com/US/wireStory
From accompanying article: “The word tolerance comes from the Latin "tolerare" — to bear. In our dictionaries, we define it as, among other things, the "freedom from bigotry or prejudice."
Its meanings are almost as numerous as the people who express them, as recent entries in the visitor comment book at the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles suggest.
It means "to respect other races even if u hate them," says one commenter, signed only as G. "Acceptance," says another, Alejandra, adding, "To me, tolerance is tinged with the negative aspect of 'putting up with' someone or something, but not fully embracing it."
As rancor swirls around the issue of whether a mosque and Islamic cultural center should be built two blocks from the New York site where the destroyed Twin Towers stood, Americans are being forced to examine just how tolerant they are — or are not.”
Photo of Cajun Musicians (1938) from:
Photo of Garrison Keillor and the Prairie Home Companion Summer Love Tour from:
Clip Art of Uncle Sam and Apple Pie from: