Geography 7
Introduction to Geography
Cardinals!
The Global World
Artic
Ocean
ASIA
N. America
Europe
Atlantic
Ocean
Pacific
Ocean
Africa
Pacific
Ocean
Indian
Ocean
S.
America
Australia
Southern Ocean
Antarctica
The New Global World – Region
Artic
Ocean
Russia and
Eurasian Republic
N. America
Europe
Atlantic
Ocean
Modern Middle East
M. America
Pacific
Ocean
S.
America
Sub-Sahara
N. America
Africa
S.
Asia
E. Asia
Indian
Europe
Ocean
Pacific
Ocean
S. E. Asia
Oceania
Australia
Southern Ocean
Antarctica
What is Geography?
 Geography is the study of everything on Earth, from
rocks and rainfall to people and places.
 Geographers study how the natural environment
influences people, how people’s activities affect Earth, and
how the world is changing.
 Geographer’s must look at many different things,
including cities, cultures, population, political, economical,
natural resources, and the physical environment.
 Geographer’s focus on “where” things are and “why”
they are there
 Geographer’s organize materials by place, because they
understand that something happening at one place can
result from something that happened elsewhere and can
affect conditions at other places
What is Geography?
 Misconceptions of geography:
 Merely memorizing lists of countries and state
capitals
 Studying rocks and soil
 Looking at maps and pictures of faraway places
Section I
History of Geography
 The word geography, invented by the ancient Greek
scholar Eratosthenes. Geography is based on two Greek
words, Geo meaning “Earth” and graphy meaning “to
write”.
 Geography is one of the oldest human activities.
 An early geographic activity was as simple as a man
taking a journey – deep into the jungle or desert, climbing a
hill or mountain or merely crossing a river and inform
his/her fellow tribesmen of what was on the other side.
 Today everyone uses geography in some form – drawing
a map to their house, watching the weather channel and
even judging migration.
The Branches of Geography
Physical
 Focus on Earth’s
natural environment
 Landforms
 Water features
 Plants
 Animals
 Studies the
processes that shape
the physical
environment
The Branches of Geography
Human
 Study of distribution
and characteristics of
the world’s people
(where people live and
what they do)
 Examines how people
make and trade things
that they need to
survive
 Study where
people live and
work
The Branches of Geography
Physical
 Focus on Earth’s
natural environment
 Landforms
 Water features
 Plants
 Animals
interaction
between
people and
the
 Studies the
processes that shape environment
the physical
environment
Human
 Study of distribution
and characteristics of
the world’s people
(where people live and
what they do)
 Examines how people
make and trade things
that they need to
survive
 Study where
people live and
work
Review
1. What is geography?
2. What are the branches of Geography. Explain.
The Five Themes of Geography
1. Location: Where a place is.
 Absolute Location: The exact location on the
Earth. This is determined by using the imaginary
geographic grid of parallels (lines of latitude) and
meridians (lines of longitude).
Prime Meridian
Equator
Equator
Section I
The Five Themes of Geography
1. Location: Where a place is.
 Relative Location: It is merely a reference to a
place by using a more familiar location.
Section I
The Five Themes of Geography
2. Place: "Place" refers to the human or physical
characteristics of a particular location.
3. Human and environment Interaction: The study
human/environment interactions to look at all the effects
both positive and negative of human occupation on the
environment.
Section I
The Five Themes of Geography
4. Movement: People, resources, products, other life
forms, information and ideas move from location to
location.
5. Regions: A basic unit of geographic study is the region,
an area on the Earth's surface that is defined by certain
similar characteristics.
Section I
The Six Essential Elements
1. The World in Spatial Terms: Dividing the World into
manageable sizes.




Continents
Oceans
Grids
Hemispheres
Artic
Ocean
ASIA
N. America
Atlantic
Ocean
Pacific
Ocean
Europe
Africa
Pacific
Ocean
Indian
Ocean Australia
S.
America
Antarctica
The Six Essential Elements
2. Places and Regions:
a. Places: the description of the characteristics
(human or physical) of a location.
 Such as landforms, climate, animal life, human
population.
b. Regions: A number of places united that have one
or more common characteristic.
 Rocky Mountains, tornado alley, The West
Coast, The Great Plains
Section I
The Six Essential Elements
2. Places and Regions:
Section I
The Six Essential Elements
3. Physical Systems: All the physical activity of the
environment.
 Flooding, earthquakes, mountains, rivers,
volcanoes, and weather patterns.
The Six Essential Elements
4. Human Systems: People are central to geography. Our
activities, movements and settlements shape Earth’s
surface.
 Farming vs ranching
 Migration patterns
 Wars
 Governments
 Religions
The Six Essential Elements
5. Environment and Society: The interaction between
humans and the environment. Positive and negative
 Flooding
 Farming
 Hurricane Katrina
 The Dust Bowl
The Six Essential Elements
6. The uses of geography: Putting it all together.
Analyzing past events to help us prevent future events.
 Developing transportations networks
 Migration
Who Uses Geography
 Everyone!
 We use it by finding our way to a new place – a
friend, restaurant, amusement park
 When we watch the news – Israel invades Lebanon
 Planning a vacation
 What to wear – shorts vs pants, jacket, sunglasses
 Athletes – winds, sun, rain, temperature, slope of the
field
 Professions:
 Cartographers – the study of maps and mapmaking,
maps are an essential part of geography
 Meteorology – the study of weather, forecasting
 Government – FBI, CIA military study countries
cultures and physical characteristics
 Teachers – develop new geographers
Section I
The Hemispheres
Introduction to Geography
Chapter 1
Section 1
Thinking Like a Geographer
Section I - Objectives
 Discuss how geographers look at the world
 Discuss and examine the tools geographers use
 Explain how geographers use their knowledge of the
earth
Geographer’s View of a Place
 Study the human and physical characteristics of a place
 Think the two (2) branches of geography
 Six essential elements (environment and society)
 History – study the pass to predict the future
 Eruption of volcanoes (two branches)
 Where to build a new store at in a town
 Examine issues to determine if the issue is local,
nation, or global
 Physical characteristics
 Landforms – individual features of the land
 Water
Geographer’s View of a Place
 Physical characteristics
 Six essential elements (physical systems)
 Eruption of volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes,
 Landforms – terraces, deserts and valleys
 Water – why live near water
Geographer’s View of a Place
 Why do geographers look at the physical
characteristics of a place?
Geographer’s View of a Place
 Why do geographers look at the physical
characteristics of a place?
 Is it near water (IT) – irrigation and transportationsupport crop life and transport goods?
 Should we build a house in an earthquake zone?
 What is the annual mean temperature?
Geographer’s View of a Place
 Human characteristics
 Branches of geography
 Six essential elements (human systems)
 Population density – how close do people live to
one another
 Religious practices
 Government type
 Language spoken
 Economic activities
 Political activities
Geographer’s View of a Place
 Why do geographers look at the human characteristics
of a place
 Population density – where to build a housing
development
 Religious practices – should we sell Christmas
trees
 Government type – what type of government
 Language spoken – what language to put on signs
 Economic activities – what products to sell
Geographer’s View of a Place
 People and Places
 The overlap of the branches of geography
 Six essential element (environment and society)
 Why did we choice to live here (human or physical
systems)
Geographer’s View of a Place
 How has our dependency on the environment change
over time
 Living near water
 Farming
 Where we live
 Technology – make our own snow, greenhouses for
farming
Geographer’s View of a Place
 Regions
 Six essential element (places and regions)
 How places relate or differ from one another –
physically and humanly
 Virtually every country has some type of regions








Mountains
Plains
Urban
Deserts
Weather
Population
Economically
Politically
Geographer’s View of a Place
Tools of Geography
 Maps, projections and globes


Maps types – road, weather (climate and precipitation),
physical, political, resources, and topographical
Projections -
 How do geographers make these tools
 Technology has help




Satellite images
Radar (x-rays) below the surface
GPS – (hardware) global positions system
GIS – (software) allows geographers to gather and analyze
data of a specific location – plant types and wildlife
Tools of Geography
 Maps

Maps types – road, weather (climate and precipitation),
physical, political, resources, and topographical
Tools of Geography
 Projections

Used to make a global flat
Map Projection
Azimuthal
Flat-plane
Advantage
 Used by pilots and navigators
 Shows true direction, area and size
Disadvantage
 Distorts shape
Tools of Geography
 Projections

Used to make a global flat
Map Projection
Cylindrical
(Mercator)
Advantage
 Used for navigation
 Shows true shape and
direction
Disadvantage
 exaggerates
landmasses at high
latitudes
Tools of Geography
 Graphs and pyramids

To illustrate detail information about specific data of a region
– weather, average age, temperature
Uses of geography
 Who uses geography?




Reading a map, looking at a global
How to react to a disaster
Where to build new homes and their price
Studying the past to predict the future
 From artifacts to fossils
 What areas flooded and why
Introduction to Geography
Chapter 1
Section 2
The Earth in Space
Section II - Objectives
 Identify what makes up the solar system
 Describe how the Earth moves in space.
 Explain why Earth’s seasons change.
The Solar System
Section II
The Solar System
 Solar System: The Sun, eight planets and a dwarf planet which
orbit around the Sun due to gravitational pull.
Uranus
Pluto
Jupiter
Neptune
Saturn
Terrestrials
Mars
Outer
Earth
Inner
Mercury
Venus
Section II
The Solar System
 Earth like (Inner Terrestrial planet): these planets are
solid and small. They have few or no moon. Additionally
they rotate fairly slow.
Mars
Venus
Mercury
Earth and The Moon
Section II
The Solar System
 Four outer planets or gas giants:
 they are so large they collectively make up 99 percent of the
mass known to orbit the Sun.
 Uranus – the smallest of them is 15x larger than earth.
 They are made up of more gas
 Spin rapidly
 Have more moons and surrounded by rocks and dust
Saturn
Neptune
Uranus
Jupiter
Section II
The Solar System
 Sun:
 The star at the center of our Solar System
 Provides the gravity for all orbiting planets
 Roughly 27 million degrees
Planet Earth
 Atmosphere:
 Filters the Sun’s energy (in and out)
 Nitrogen and oxygen make the 99% of it
 It is organized into five layers
Atmosphere
Section III
Types of Landforms
 Blizzards: Strong winds, Heavy snow, Temperatures falling below
14F .
blizzard
T-storm
 Thunderstorm: Lightning and thunder,
heavy rainfall and strong winds, hail and
tornadoes
Tornado
 Tornado: a violently rotating
column of air in contact with the
ground, life cycle – last minutes to
hours.
Rating a Tornado
Scale
Wind Speed
(MPH – estimated)
Typical Damage
F0
<73
Light Damage - branches broken off trees; small
trees pushed over; sign boards damaged.
F1
73 – 112
Moderate Damage - Peels surface off roofs;
moving autos blown off roads.
F2
113 - 157
Considerable Damage - Roofs torn off frame
houses; large trees snapped or uprooted; cars
lifted off ground.
F3
158 – 206
Severe Damage - Roofs and some walls torn off
houses; trains overturned; most trees in forest
uprooted; heavy cars lifted off the ground and
thrown.
F4
207 – 260
Devastating Damage - Well-constructed houses
leveled; cars thrown and large missiles
generated.
Rating a Tornado
Scale
Wind Speed
(MPH – estimated)
F5
260 - 318
Typical Damage
Incredible Damage - Strong frame houses
leveled off foundations and swept away;
automobile-sized missiles fly through the air in
excess of 100 meters (109 yds); trees debarked;
incredible phenomena will occur.
Earth’s Regions
Prime Meridian
N. Pole
Tropic of Cancer
Equator
Equator
Tropic of Capricorn
S. Pole
Section II
Earth’s Regions
Prime Meridian
N. Pole
Tropic of Cancer
Tropics
Equator
Equator
Tropic of Capricorn
S. Pole
Section II
Earth’s Regions
Prime Meridian
N. Pole
Tropic of Cancer
Middle
Tropics
Equator
Equator
Tropic of Capricorn
Middle
S. Pole
Section II
Earth’s Regions and Sun Energy
Regions
Tropics
Middle
N. Pole and
S. Pole
Characteristics
 Receive the most intense Sun’s rays all
year
 Generally warm region
 Consistent annual temperature
 The Sun’s rays change drastically
throughout the year
 Temperature dependant on position of
Sun
 Warm and cool temperature
Receive the less intense Sun’s rays all
year
 Generally cool region
 Consistent annual temperature
Section II
Earth’s Regions and Sun Energy
Why?!?!?!?!
Section II
Earth’s Regions and Sun Energy
 Tilt –
 The Earth is tilted on an axis of 23.5 degrees
 The North Pole always points to the same point in the
Solar System
 Causes daylight and darkness hours to change from
the Northern to Southern Hemispheres
 Causes the Sun’s Rays intensity to change, which
influences the temperature during the seasons
 Rotation
 One complete rotation around the Earths axis, 24 hours
 Direction West – to – East
 Causes daytime and nighttime in the Western and
Eastern Hemispheres
Section II
Earth’s Regions and Sun Energy
Section II
Earth’s Regions and Sun Energy
 Revolution
 The elliptical path the Earth orbits around the Sun –
Counter clock wise
 Time for one revolution around the Sun, 365 ¼ (causes
the leap year
 Causes the seasons – winter, fall, summer and spring
Section II
Earth’s Seasons
Section II
Earth’s Seasons
Section II
Earth’s Tilt
Section II
Earth’s Tilt
Section II
Earth’s Tilt
Section II
Northern Hemisphere
Sun’s Rays
Tilt
Season
Hours of Daylight
Solstice / equinox
Position of the Sun
Southern Hemisphere
Seasonal Changes
Date
Sun
Position
Sun rays
(Hemisphere)
Day Light
March
Equinox
March 21
Equator
Equal to North
and Southern
12 hrs poles
December
Solstice
December
21
Tropic of
Capricorn
Southern
24 darkness
N pole
24 daylight
S pole
September
Equinox
September
22
Equator
Equal to North
and Southern
12 hrs poles
June
Solstice
June 21
Tropic of
Cancer
Northern
24 daylight
N pole
24 darkness
S pole
Introduction to Geography
Chapter 1
Section III
Forces Shaping the Earth
Section III - Objectives
 Describe and Identify the layers found in the Earth
 Discuss the forces that change the Earth’s surface
Geosphere
Inside the Earth
Mantle
Core
Crust
Geosphere
 Geosphere: The solid part of Earth, which is made mostly of rock
and non-rock material. – Crust, mantle and core
 Core: Inner most part of the Earth
 Inner core: inner most layer, solid, temp >9,000 °F
 Outer core: hot metals, liquid 4,000 to 9,000 °F
 Mantle: located directly under the crust, largest layer - 1800
miles thick, very hot dense rock, flows like asphalt under a heavy
weight.
 Asthenosphere: "soft" zone in the upper mantle, involved in plate
movements.
 Lithosphere: solid outermost shell of a rocky material which
includes the crust and the uppermost layer of the mantle.
 Crust: outermost layer of the Earth’s geosphere, part of the
lithosphere
Geosphere
Section IV
Inside the Earth
Inner
Core
Outer
Core
Inside the Earth
Core
Inner
Core
Outer
Core
Inside the Earth
Core
Inner
Core
Outer
Core
Mantle
Crust
Inside the Earth
Liquid
Solid
Liquid
Solid
Inside the Earth
Liquid = magma
Solid
Liquid
Solid
The Continents
 Pangaea: The theory that all of Earth's continents were
connected into one huge landmass - super-continent - was
surrounded by one gigantic ocean called Panthalassa.
 Keys to the theory:
 Antarctica far north of its current position
 Australia flipped
sideways and far west
of its current position
 The subcontinent of
India hundreds of miles
from Asia
 North American
continent was located
much farther south and
east of it's position today.
The Continents
The Continents
Mediterranean
The Continents
The Continents
Plate Tectonics
Plate Tectonics
 Three types of plate boundaries exist, characterized by
the way the plates move relative to each other:
 Transform boundary: occur where plates slide or grind past
each
 Converging boundary: occur where two plates slide
towards each
 subduction zone: one plate moves underneath the other
 collision: two plates contain continental crust and collide
into one another.
 Diverging boundary: two plates sliding apart from each
other, examples mid-ocean ridges
Forces Shaping landforms
 Weathering:
 No movement
 Freeze/thaw – water and ice
 Thermal expansion – heating and cooling
 Pressure – big feet walking on it
 Chemicals – acid in the atmosphere
Forces Shaping landforms
 Erosion:
 Movement
 Wind – blowing sand, wind gaps in mountains
 Water – rivers flooding, mudslides, deltas
 Ice – glacier
Geosphere Natural Disasters
 Volcanoes: is a rupture in the Earth's crust, allowing hot, usually
molten rock, ash, and gases escape.
 Earthquakes: the shifting of the plates that resulting in shacking
felt on the Earth’s surface.
 Tsunamis: a series of waves usually caused by a ocean floor
earthquake
Introduction to Geography
Chapter 1
Section IV
Landforms and Waterways
Section II - Objectives
 Describe and identify the Earth’s major landforms
 Explain how landforms affect where people live
Plate Movement
 Continental shelves: the portion of the continental plate
that extends out into the ocean.
Section IV
Geosphere
Section III
Types of Landforms
 Mountains: is a landform that extends above the
surrounding terrain in a limited area.
Rocky Mountains
Himalayas
Types of Landforms
 Plateau: large highland, level land, separated from surrounding
land by steep slopes
Plateau
Plain
 Plain: large flat area of land, very suitable for farming
 Valley: typically a low-lying area of
land, surrounded by mountains or hills.
It can also be seen as a path between
two mountains.
Valley
Types of Landforms
 Canyon (gorge): deep valley between
cliffs often carved from the Earth by a river
- a process of long-time erosion
Canyon
Canyon
 Desert: landscape or region that receives
very little precipitation.
Desert
Desert
Types of Landforms
 Delta: landform at the mouth of a river that flows into an ocean,
sea, or lake, building outwards from sediment carried by the river
and deposited as the water current is dissipated.
Delta
Delta
 Island: is any piece of
land that is completely
surrounded by water.
Island
Island
Types of Landforms
 Peninsula: surrounded by water on three sides.
Delta
Isthmus
 Isthmus: narrow strip of land that is bordered on two sides by
water and connects two larger land masses.
 Strait and Channel: narrow body of water
that connects two larger bodies of water,
man-made or natural
Strait
Delta
Introduction to Geography
Test Tomorrow!!
Good Luck
Timeline
http://worldatlas.com/aatlas/imageg.htm
http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/index.html
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/wwatch/volcanoes/
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/china.html
http://www.plcmc.org/forkids/mow/continent.asp?continent=Europe
http://www.sitesatlas.com/Maps/Maps/Europe.htm
http://www.tapestryofgrace.com/Year%204/Y4_geography.htm