Key Concepts and Themes of Geography

Chapter 1 section 1

TWEET

• In 140 characters or less, create a tweet that defines human geography in your own words– #humangeographydefinition

Definition

• the branch of geography dealing with how human activity affects or is influenced by the earth's surface.

Think like a geographer

• A huge part of this course is not the memorization and creation of maps, but training yourself to think like a geographer. In other words, THINK SPATIALLY.

• This begins by asking SPATIAL QUESTIONS. Here is a list of questions that help with that process.

• As you read, study diagrams and maps, and move through this course, train yourself to ask these questions.

Think like a geographer• Where is it?• What is there? • Why is it there?• How is it linked with other places? • How are other places similar or different?• How far does the influence of a place extend?• What nearby places are similar to each other?• How do things change between two places?• What other places have similar conditions?• What spatial patterns can you see on a map?• Are any spatial patterns similar?• Are any spatial patterns different?• How do spatial patterns change over space and time?• Are distant places linked?

Spatial Questions(courtesy of Phil and Carol Gersmehl, 2004)

Terms/Concepts

• Place

• Scale

• Space

• Region

• Connection

What is Geography?

• Geography is a science• Geographers explain where things are,

why they are there, and why their locations have significance

• Look at:– Physical Features/Vegetation affect on

Humans– Humans affect Physical Features/Vegetation

Uniqueness

• Study where things are- use of maps

• Why every place unique– Place- a specific point on Earth distinguished

by a particular characteristic– Region- an area of Earth distinguished by a

distinctive combination of cultural and physical features

Connection

• To explain how places are interrelated:– Scale- the relationship between the portion of

Earth being studied and Earth as a whole– Space- the physical gap or interval between

two objects– Connection- the relationship among people

and objects across the barrier of space

Terms/Concepts

• Place

• Scale

• Space

• Region

• Connection