Lesson 1.01: Geography
The Big IdeasWhy might historians need to describe different places on Earth?
How have humans altered the landscape of the United States?
How does geography impact history? How do the physical and human features of an area impact the events that happen there?
Skills
As you read, please review the terms below and make sure you are able to describe a location using these terms. This will be part of your assignment.
· Place
· Region
· Relative location
· Physical system
· Human system / Special Notes to Help with Your First Assignment!
There is a link to a Map Tutorial at the bottom of Lesson page 1 of 7. Please review this information on maps and be sure to read through page 3. You will have to use the scale on a map to complete the assignment for this lesson.
Be sure to turn in your responses to BOTH parts (Part 1 and Part 2) of the assessment, so that you receive full credit. If you have questions, please contact your instructor.
Vocabulary (fill in examples from the lesson where possible or put the definition in your own words)
Cash crops – a crop that is grown for profit rather than for use by the grower
Example:
Ecosystem – a community of plants, animals, and smaller organisms that live, feed, reproduce, and interact in the same area or environment
What kind of ecosystem do you live in?
Globes – three-dimensional spheres representing Earth
When would a globe be more useful than a map?
Historians – a person who studies history
Human systems – the human characteristics of a region and how those characteristics work together to form spatial patterns
What human systems are in your area?
Manifest Destiny – a 19th Century belief that the United States was destined to expand its territory across the continent to the Pacific Ocean
Maps – two-dimensional illustrations showing geographical features and information
Why is it important to know how to read a map?
Place – the physical and human characteristics of a geographical location
How would you describe your hometown using the idea of “place”?
Region – an area that shares physical or human spatial characteristics, such as language, culture, or climate
In what region do you live?
Relative Location – the location of a place in relation to another place; an example of relative location is describing England as east of the United States
How would you describe your hometown using the idea of “relative location”?
Scale – map feature showing the difference between actual distance and illustrated distance
Please make sure you know how to use a map’s scale.
Spatial Patterns – the ways in which people, places, and characteristics are organized on the Earth’s surface