Geog 100Themes in World Geography.ppt

Geog 100Themes in World Geography Dr. Julie Cidell Fall 2004 Section 7 What is geography? The study of spatial variation How – and why – things differ from place to place on the surface of the earth The study of how observable spatial patterns evolved through time What is geography? Geography is a spatial science Spatial behavior of people Spatial relationships between places Spatial processes that create or maintain those behaviors and relationships Five fundamental themes of geography 1) Location: the meaning of relative and absolute position on the earths surface Sample terms: Latitude and longitude, site and situation, direction, distance, scale Skills: Map reading, identification Questions: Where is ____? Where is ____ relative to where I am? 2) Place: the distinctive and distinguishing physical and human characteristics of locales Sample terms: Physical and cultural landscapes, sense of place Skills: Description, compare and contrast Questions: What does ____ look like? Why? How is it different from ____? 3) Relationships within places: the development and consequences of human-environment relationships Sample terms: Ecosystems, natural resources, environmental pollution Skills: Evaluation, analysis Questions: What human-environment relationships are occurring? How do they affect the place and its inhabitants? 4) Movement: patterns and change in human spatial interaction on the earth Sample terms: Migration, diffusion, globalization Skills: Explanation, prediction Questions: How has this spatial pattern developed? Will it continue to change? What does it mean for the places involved? 5) Regions: how they form and change Sample terms: Formal vs. functional regions Skills: Synthesis, application Questions: How has this spatial pattern developed? Will it continue to change? What does it mean for the places involved? Relative and absolute location Stand up! Where were you born? Where do you live? Where’s the most beautiful place you’ve ever been? Index car