Themes of Geography
Name:
Geography 12
Date:
Activation Assignment (5% of mark)
Mark:
/
Take notes (fill in the blanks using the PowerPoint) and answer the questions.
Go to: http://geography12.wordpress.com/activation-assignment/
 Download this document if you would like to answer the questions
digitally.
 View the 5 Themes of Geography PowerPoint that contains the images
and links you need. You can also view it as a PDF.
 Here you will also find three PDF maps – you don’t really need to print
them – you can view them and answer the questions if that works.
 Finally, you will need the PDF document, The 5 themes of geography, just
for your own information and clarification.
Before we start, a few notes on how I assess work from the PowerPoint.

Know your thinking, so you can
your thinking!
Know your thinking

Good readers of text, whether that text is written, whether it is a
photograph, whether it is a documentary, do the following:

Question, and

Connect to what they
know, to the
own

Predict and

Zoom in on
and show how your thinking and
knowledge
A note on answering questions

The acronym I use is
on your writing

Start with making your Point. This is only your first step
, to their

Now, provide Evidence, give
your idea,

The marks are in the
, be
your thinking
,
s!
Show your thinking

When you know what you think, you can
 I need to
 The
your perspective
.
.
are in your thinking, your
,
Back to the Five Themes of Geography
Print out and read the PDF document from the Activation Assignment page of
the website titled, The 5 themes of geography. This will help you with the
following assignment.
The Five Themes of Geography PowerPoint – take notes, answer questions:
•
Geography is the
•
When geographers study the earth, they examine or look at it through a
five lenses:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1. Location – Absolute position
•
Every point on Earth has a specific, absolute, location
•
Geographers use
1. parallels of latitude – measured
2. meridians of longitude – measured east and west of the
•
…to determine absolute location
on it.
•
Every point on earth corresponds to
a number
, plus
.
DO THIS: Use the link to find the specific location of the following places: (10)
•
http://www.findlatitudeandlongitude.com/
•
Please use the letters, N, S, E, W. Degrees only needed, as in the first
example. Include Longitude and Latitude
1. The border between Canada and the United States in BC, east of
Vancouver N 49° W 123°
2. Your town
3. The most southern point of Canada’s border with the US
4. The farthest east you can get in Canada
5. The farthest west you can get in Canada
6. The farthest north you can get on this map in Canada
Location can also be relative – that is relative to another place
Relative location – how one place is connected to another
The relative location is not a
based on where it exists
another landmark or place
, but a
1. Where are you, relative to Prince George?
•
EXAMPLE: Fort St. James is Northwest of Prince George, both
are located on the Interior Plateau
DO THIS: Using the three maps provided on the website, complete the following
questions (12)
•
The World Map
1. Which line of longitude runs through Greenland?
2. Which line of latitude is the Equator?
3. Canada’s territories (Nunavut, Yukon, Northwest Territories) are
located north of which line of latitude?
4. Antarctica is located south of which line of latitude?
5. Oceana is south of the Equator, and what? of the Prime or
Greenwich Meridian?
•
Antarctica Map
1. The Amery Ice Shelf is located at approximately 70°S and 75°E.
Thurston Island is located:
2. The coordinates of the South Pole are:
3. The coordinates of the Magnetic South Pole are:
•
Pakistan Map
1. The Indus River enters Pakistan from China at which coordinates?
. Explain in relative terms, where it exits in
Pakistan.
2. Afghanistan is located where, relative to Pakistan?
3. The capital city is what, and is located at which coordinates? What
is the capital city’s relative location?
4. India is located where, relative to China?
2. Place
•
All places have characteristics that give them meaning and character
different from other places –
•
•
A. Physical Characteristics
•
animal life
•
plant life
•
geographical characteristics
DO THIS: Briefly describe how these two places (slide 9 in the PowerPoint)
are different based on the three items above. (6)
B. Human Characteristics
•
shaped by religious, political, cultural, social, economic ideas
1. Architecture –
2. What people
3. Land use and ownership
•
how people use
purposes, and who and how land is
owned
4. Town planning
5. Communication and
DO THIS: Describe how these two places (from slide 11 on the PowerPoint)
are different: (8)
1. Architecture – the style of buildings
2. What people do for a living
3. Land use and ownership - how people use the land for economic
and recreational purposes
4. Communication and transportation networks
3. Human/Environment Interaction
•
Positive and
of human impact
DO THIS: Looking at the images of the BP oil spill and the University of Victoria
(on slide 12 of the PowerPoint), write about the following: (8)
1. How do people
•
Modify or change the environment in which they live?
•
How do people depend upon the environment?
•
How do people change their activities to survive and thrive in
the environment?
2. What are the positive and negative impacts on the environment in
each photo? On people?
4. Regions
•
A region is a
characteristics
with certain unifying or similar
1.
2.
3. and how this
DO THIS: (7)
Slide 15: This map shows language regions. Examine the map. Tell one thing you
notice or are surprised by.
Slide 16:
1. What is this map showing?
2. Where are most of the richer countries located?
3. Where are most of the poor countries located?
4. Give some reasons you think a place might be rich or poor.
Slide 17
1. What is this map showing?
2. Make a comment about one aspect of this map that is interesting or
surprising to you.
5. Movement
•
Movement
1. travel
2. communication
3. reliance
•
How are we connected to other places, people?
DO THIS: Watch the documentary on YouTube called BBC Horizon 2011: Japan
Earthquake: with Iain Stewart. There are four parts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feqISqIHmMY
•
PART ONE: Watch the documentary. Create notes that show your thinking
(see the beginning of the PowerPoint for explanation). (50)
•
PART TWO: As you watch, think about and then answer the following
questions.
•
You will also have to do some further research.
1. Give a brief description of what has caused this natural and human
catastrophe (10)
2. Describe some of the key problems that have been created for the
environment, the people in Japan. (10)
3. Thinking about the idea of movement in geography, answer the
following questions: (15)
•
How are people in Japan moving in response?
•
How has the world responded, or communicated, or helped
the people of Japan? What goods and supports are moving
from different countries to Japan?
•
•
What impact could this disaster have on people outside of
Japan? In other words, how are we connected to the people
there?
PART THREE: Go to the homepage of Ms. Inden’s Geography 12 web site.
Watch the video, Why should I be interested in Geography. (10
completion marks only) http://geography12.wordpress.com/
1. Why did you sign up for this course? Include information on where
you are in your studies, what you plan to do after school, and what
interests you in terms of the field of Geography.
2. What do I need to know about you as a learner?
3. Give me your contact information – where you live in general terms
(i.e., Vancouver), what your email is, who I should speak to, if
appropriate, besides yourself, about your studies.
4. Can you please let me know what digital formats you work in? So,
do you have MS Office, how is your internet speed, and so on. In
what format will you submit written work?