8/19/14 How Geographer’s Look at the
World
LESSON 2
MS. FRANCIS’
SOCIAL STUDIES CLASS
Exploring Geography
SECTION 1
Student Objectives
—  Describe the physical and human features that
geographers study
—  Explain how geographers describe the earth’s
features and their patterns.
—  Discuss how geography is used.
1 8/19/14 Key Terms to Know
—  Location
—  Formal region
—  Absolute Location
—  Functional region
—  Hemisphere
—  Perceptual region
—  Grid System
—  Ecosystem
—  Relative Location
—  Movement
—  Place
—  Human-Environment
Interaction
—  Region
Places to Locate
—  Equator
—  North Pole
—  South Pole
—  Prime Meridian
The Elements of Geography
—  Geographers are specialists who describe Earth’s
physical and human features and the interactions of
people, places, and environments.
—  What are some of the tools that geographers might
use to describe the features of Earth and the
relationships between them?
2 8/19/14 The World in Spatial Terms
—  Spatial relations means “relations in space”: how
places, people and features of the earth are
connected because of their locations
Absolute Location is the exact latitude and longitude at which
a place is found on the globe.
¡  Relative Location describes a place’s location in relation to
another place
¡
—  When is it useful to use absolute location? Relative?
Places & Regions
—  A place is a particular space on Earth with physical
and human meaning
—  A region, larger than a place, is a group of places
that are united by shared characteristics
—  A formal region, or uniform region, is an area
defined by a common characteristic
—  A functional region is a central place and the
outlying areas linked to it by transit systems
—  A perceptual region is defined by popular feelings
and images, rather than by objective data
Physical Systems
—  Physical systems – volcanoes, floods, and hurricanes
– shape the earth’s surface
—  What kinds of physical systems have shaped the
earth in the region where you live?
3 8/19/14 Human Systems
—  People affect the earth by settling it, forming
societies, and migrating
—  People also move goods and ideas to new places
—  What historical movements of people and ideas have
changed the United States?
Environment and Society
—  People affect the environment by clearing or
plantings forests, building industries and cities, and
hunting animals
—  Features of the environment such as mountain
ranges and deserts often pose barriers to human
migration.
—  How can people overcome the physical obstacles of
their environment?
Uses of Geography
—  Geographers provide important information about
the planet’s physical features and processes, living
things, and human systems. Such information
describes the planet and contributes to planning for
future needs.
—  What can a geographer tell you about your
environment?
4 8/19/14 Assessment
SECTION 1
The Geographer’s Craft
SECTION 2
Student Objectives
—  Identify the major branches of geography and the
topics each branch studies
—  Describe the research methods geographers use.
—  Discuss the relationship of geography to other
subject areas.
—  List the kinds of geographic careers that are available
today.
5 8/19/14 Key Terms to Know
—  Physical Geography
—  Human Geography
—  Meteorology
—  Cartography
—  Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Branches of Geography
—  Physical Geography focuses on the study of
Earth’s physical features
—  Human Geography, or cultural geography, studies
human activities and their relationship to the
environment
—  What kinds of questions would you ask a physical
geographer? A cultural geographer?
Geographers at Work
—  Going to a geographic location to see what it is like is
direct observation
—  Sometimes geographers rely on aerial or satellite
photographs
—  Cartographers are people who design and make
maps – graphic representations of places and regions
and more complicated information about the
relationships of people, places, and things
—  Geographers use advanced technology –satellite
photos, radar, and geographic information
systems (GIS) to study the environment, weather,
and human settlement patterns
6 8/19/14 Geography & Other Disciplines
—  Geographers study history and government to
understand changes that have taken place over time.
¡
History and Government
—  Human geographers study sociology and
anthropology to learn how people have interacted
with their environment over time.
¡
Culture
—  Geographers study economics to understand how the
location of resources affects the ways people make,
transport, and use goods and provide services.
Geography as a Career
—  Knowledge of geography helps people who work in
many other fields
—  Name a job in which it would be helpful to
understand geography.
Jobs in Geography
7 8/19/14 Assessment
SECTION 2
8