Welcome!Agenda for Wednesday, August 28

• Warm-Up: Why study geography?

• Presentation: The fields of Geography, 5 themes

• Activity: “Pictionary”• Practice: Identifying the

5 themes in the everyday world

• Closure

Warm-Up: Answer as many of the following as you can. Be prepared to discuss.

Why is it important to study geography?In what ways is it useful in real life?

Which careers might be associated with geography?How can knowledge of geography help you in other

academic areas?

Why We Need to Teach Geography

The Field of Geography

• Geography: the study of Earth and its people

Physical Geography: the study of natural features on the surface of Earth

• Things that can be seen (landforms) and felt (weather)

Human Geography: study of people as they have spread across Earth

• Who lives where? Why? How?• Human-made features like towns, dams &

roads

Why Themes?

• The 5 themes are important because they help the geographer describe the use of space.

• Location, Place, Movement, Region, Human-Environment Interaction

Location: Where is it? Why is it there?

• Absolute Location – Exact – Latitude/longitude

• Paris is at 48⁰ North latitude and 2⁰ East longitude

– Street address• TCCHS is located at 4717

Bailey Road

• Relative Location– Depends on a point of

reference. Near, far, a short drive, etc.

– Described by landmarks, time, direction or distance.• A few miles from

Pearland Town Center• Across from Turner High

School

Think about…

• When might it be important to use absolute location?

• Describe a scenario where using relative location would be beneficial.

Place: What is it like?

• Physical characteristics like landforms, climate bodies of water or vegetation

• Human characteristics such as roads, buildings, culture & beliefs

Regions: How are places similar or different?

• Areas defined by their physical & human characteristics

• Geographers divide the world into regions to help them interpret information

Formal Regions• Are based on the related characteristics of an

area (language, religion, climate)– Many formal regions have natural boundaries– Commonly defined b continental area and similar

cultures

Functional Regions

• Functional regions are based on connections between places; have a “hub” or central area– Ex. A city and its suburbs

Perceptual Regions• Are based on

people’s feelings and attitudes of an area

• Likely to change over time

• Can be based on stereotypes and influenced by travel, movies and reading

• Ex. Dixie, Aggieland

Tornado Alley

The World Dived into 7 Regions, Each with a Population of 1 Billion

Human-Environment Interaction: How do people relate to the physical world?

• We depend.– We need rivers for

transportation.• We adapt.– We wear clothing to

protect us from the weather.

• We modify.– We use heaters and air

conditioners in our homes.

What do you think of when I say…

• A hot, sunny climate is perfect for ________.• A cold climate with a lot of snow is perfect for

________.• Summer in Texas is the perfect time to

________.

Movement: How are people and places linked?

• Linear, time & psychological• Movement of People– Cars, trains, planes, animals

• Movement of Products– Trucks, trains, planes

• Movement of Information/Ideas– Cell phones, computers, TV,

radio, newspapers

Types of Distance

Linear Distance• How far across the earth

something travels.

Time Distance• Amount of time it takes

something to travel

Psychological Distance• The way people view

distance

Questions…

• How can physical geography affect linear distance?

• List some modern inventions that have shortened time distance.

• How far away is “far”? What influences your perception of what is “far”?

Ask MR. HELP

• M- Movement• R- Region• HE- Human Environment Interaction• L- Location• P- Place

“Pictionary”Theme Tells us… Example Picture/Symbol

Location

Place

Region

Human-Environment Interaction

Movement

Practice

• Identify the themes of geography in the following photos:

Venice, Italy

Lake Tahoe, Nevada

Times Square, New York

Grand Canyon, Arizona

Sahara Desert, Africa

Hoover Dam & Bypass Bridge on Lake Mead, Nevada

Practice

• Are the following regions formal, perceptual, or functional?