Name: __________________________________ Date: _____________________
Chapter 1 Notes
The Geographer’s Toolbox
1.1 Thinking Spatially
 Geographers study the location of places and the people who live there by using spatial
thinking and looking for patterns
Spatial thinking: thinking about the space on Earth’s surface including where places are located
and why they are there
Geographic patterns: similarities among places
Example: location of large cities near water
Geographic information Systems: geographers use computer based systems to create maps
and analyze patterns. They are used for city planning, businesses for marketing, selecting store
locations, and for analyzing and displaying weather maps
1.2 Themes and Elements
Geographers use the five themes of geography to understand the world!
1. Location:
Definition: where a place is
Location answers the question, “Where is it?”
Two Types of Location:
Absolute/exact location: using longitude and latitude lines and addresses
Geographers use a satellite system called the Global Positioning System (GPS) to find the
absolute/exact location
Example:
 New Jersey is located at 40°N and 75°W.
 West Essex Middle School is located on 65 West Greenbrook Road in North Caldwell,
New Jersey.
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Relative location: comparing one place/location to another place/location
Example:
 The football field is south of West Essex Middle School.
 The Great Wall is located near Beijing in northern China.
2. Place
Place answers the question, “What do you find there?”
Every place can be described by physical features (flat land, plants, animals, rivers, etc.) and
human features (customs, languages, etc.)
Example:
The Grand Canyon has steep rock walls that were carved over centuries by the Colorado River
and is visited by many tourists each year.
3. Human-Environment Interaction
Definition: How humans affect the environment and how the environment affects humans
Example: Humans cut down trees or build dams to change the flow of rivers (Humans affect the
environment)
Example: People in Northern Alaska wear sealskin clothes to protect themselves from the
environment (The environment affects humans)
4. Movement
Definition: how people, ideas, animals, and goods move from one place to another
Examples:
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the spread of different religions and ideas around the world
people trading goods
people and animals moving from one place to another (migration)
5. Region
Why do geographers divide the world into regions?
Geographers divide the world into regions or areas that have shared features or common
characteristics.
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Define a region by:
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physical features
climate
human features
economics
Example: Northeast Region of the United States has four seasons. People in the Northeast
cheer for teams such as the New York Giants, New York Jets, and the New England Patriots. The
Northeast Region has many people and there are large cities such as New York City and Boston.
1.3 World Regions
 Geographers divide the world into regions. Each region shares physical and human
characteristics.
Region: a group of places with common traits
Continent: a large landmass on the Earth’s surface
There are seven continents: Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America, and
Australia
Why do geographers divide the world into regions?
Geographers divide the world into regions to learn about the similarities and differences among
them.
2.1 Elements of a Map
 Maps and globes are tools used to study places on Earth
Globe: a three-dimensional or spherical representation of Earth
A globe shows Earth as a whole!
Map: a two-dimensional or flat representation of the Earth
A map is used to show a section of the Earth!
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Latitude Lines:
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Run west and east
Measure distances north and south of the equator
Latitude lines are parallel to the equator and never touch
The equator is located at 0° latitude
Lines of latitude are also known as parallels
Longitude Lines:
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Run north and south from the North Pole to the South Pole
Measure distances east or west of the prime meridian
The prime meridian is located at 0° longitude
The prime meridian runs through Greenwich, England
Lines of longitude are also known as meridians
Hemisphere: half of Earth
The equator divides Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
The prime meridian divides Earth into the Western and Eastern Hemispheres.
2.2 Map Scales
 Maps use scales for different purposes
Scale: shows how much distance on Earth is shown on the map
A large-scale map covers a small area but shows many details.
Example: A map of Rome, Italy
A small-scale map covers a large area but includes few details.
Example: A map of all of the different countries in Europe
A scale is usually measured in inches and/or centimeters!
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2.3 Political and Physical Maps
Cartographers: mapmakers who create different types of maps
A political map shows features that humans have created
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labeled states, provinces, and cities
boundary lines between areas
A physical map shows natural features such as mountains, plains, valleys, oceans, and lakes
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shows elevation (height above sea level)
shows relief (change in elevation from one place to another)
2.4 Map Projections
 Cartographers use various map projections to show Earth’s curved surface on a flat map
Maps distort or change shapes, areas, distances, and directions because maps are flat and the
world is a sphere!
Projections: ways of showing Earth’s curved surface on a flat map
Common map projections:
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Azimuthal projection
Mercator projection
Homolosine projection
Robinson projection
Winkel Tripel Projection
2.5 Thematic Maps
 Thematic maps focus on specific topics such as the population density or economic
activity in a region or country
Theme: specific topic
Common thematic maps:
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point symbol map
dot density map
proportional symbol map
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