The Geographer’s Tools

The Lesson Activities will help you meet these educational goals:

Inquiry Skills—You will apply disciplinary concepts and tools, analyze societal issues, trends and events, evaluate change and continuity over time, and communicate your conclusions.

Directions

Pleasesave this document before you begin working on the assignment. Type your answers directly in the document. ______

Self-Checked Activities

Read the instructions for the following activities and type in your responses. At the end of the lesson, click the link to open the Student Answer Sheet. Use the answers or sample responses to evaluate your work.

  1. Occupations in Geography

Many professionals use and apply geography in their day-to-day tasks. Scan through this list of occupationsrelated to geography. Usethe list to help you describe in your own words three different occupations that use geographic skills and knowledge. Describe the daily tasks involvedin each job and briefly discuss the different tools of geography that these professionals might use.

Sample answer:

Occupation 1
Job Title / Cartographer
Description / Cartographers design and create maps that display geographic information. These maps help government agencies, businesses, and recreationists.
Day-to-day tasks / Cartographers study existing maps, computer data, and satellite data to create new and useful maps. After researching geographic information, cartographers draw detailed maps by hand or with a computer.
Geographic tools and skills used / Cartographers use computers,geographic information systems (GIS) tools, and compasses to draw maps. They also reference atlases. Global positioning systems (GPS) are also valuable tools that help ensure accuracy in mapmaking.
Occupation 2
Job Title / Meteorologist
Description / Meteorologists study climate and the weather patterns of Earth’s atmosphere. They forecast the weather to prepare people for storms and other potentially dangerous weather. Meteorologists use geography to analyze weather in a particular region, taking into account the physical and human characteristics of that geographic region.
Day-to-day tasks / Many meteorologists provide weather predictions for newspapers, television stations, radio stations, and websites,while some produce weather analysis for the government or for private companies.Meteorologistsanalyze local weather conditions, including atmospheric pressure, precipitation, and temperature, and then deliver that information in a video, radio, or written report.
Geographic tools and skills used / Meteorologists use radar and satellite data to analyze weather conditions. They also reference maps and GIS tools to help provide up-to-date weather forecasting for a region. GPS is a valuable tool that helps meteorologists pinpoint where and when a weather event will occur.
Occupation 3
Job Title / Surveyor
Description / Surveyors analyze the three-dimensional layout of a particular geographic region. They provide valuable topographical information to many people, including cartographers, landowners, and government agencies.
Day-to-day tasks / Using a range of tools, surveyors take distance and elevation measurements of an area. Surveyors provide this topographical information to cartographers, corporations, governments, and landowners.
Geographic tools and skills used / Surveyors use maps, compasses, leveling instruments, laser rangefinders, and GPS to produce an accurate reading of terrain.
  1. Population Pyramid

View this interactive populationpyramid.

  1. Thispyramid represents the population of the world in 1965. Consider the shape of the pyramid, and then describe points of information from the pyramid that stand out to you.

Sample Answer:

In 1965, the population of the world was approximately 3.3 billion people. The shape of the population pyramid resembles a cone or pyramid with a wide base. This shape reveals that the world had a young population with the largest groups under the age of 20. The pyramid also shows a decrease to 0.0% at age 80, so most people in the world did not live past their 70s.

  1. View the population pyramid that reflects the current world population distribution by selecting 2015 in the drop-down menu to the right of the pyramid. Then answer these questions:
  • Analyze the shape of the pyramid. What points of information from the pyramid stand out to you?
  • Compared to the population pyramid of 1965, what shifts in the world’s population do you notice?

Sample Answer:

In 2015, the world population is more than 7 billion people. The population is relatively evenly divided between men and women across all age groups. Children and young adultsare the most prevalent age group. However, when compared to the population pyramid of 1965,youngerage groups do not comprise as much of the population in 2015. Based on this pyramid, it appears the average lifespan is increasing.

  1. Look at the projected population pyramid 20 years in the future by selecting the year 2035 from the drop-down menu.What changes in the population do you notice in comparison to the 2015 population pyramid?

Sample Answer:

The biggest difference between the population pyramids of 2015 and 2035 is that the population is even more evenly distributed in 2035.Thatmost likely means the population is relatively stable with a balanced birth rate and death rate. In 2035, even more people are expected to live into their 70s, 80s, and 90s.

  1. Based on your examination of the population pyramids of 1965, 2015, and 2035, what can you say about the overall shift and progression of the world’s population? What concerns might you have about the changes in data you’ve seen in the world population duringthis70-year span?

Sample Answer:

After studying the population pyramids of 1965, 2015, and 2035, it’sclear that the world’s population grew rapidly in both the second half of the 20thcentury and the early 21st century. The population was just over 3 billion people in 1965. It grew to
7 billion in 2015.The population is projected to reach 8.6 billion in 2035.The population pyramid also smoothed out over time, showing a stabilization in birth rate and death rate. By 2035, it is projected that more people will live longer and younger age groups will not make up such a large portion of the population.The overall population growth has probably led to stress on resources. If the world’s population continues to grow, people might find it harder to get water, land, and other necessities.

  1. Geography Tools of the 21st Century

Reviewthis resource about geospatial technology. Consider the geographic technologies and information discussed, andthen answer the following questions:

  1. How do the GPS and GIS technologies used in Portland, Oregon, improve public transportation in that city?

Sample Answer:

GPS and GIS technologiesimprove the public transportation system in Portland, Oregon, by showing real-time information about bus routes and geographic information about bus stops to bus riders. This information can make public transportation more efficient and more popular with the city’s residents and visitors.

  1. What data do GIS and light detection and ranging(LIDAR) technologies provide to Portland city officials?

Sample Answer:

LIDAR technology provides city officials with a three-dimensional view of the buildings and terrain of Portland. This LIDAR data in the GIS helps city officials analyze a precise representation of the city landscape when considering the consequences of proposed building projects, such as the shadow a building might cast or a scenic view it may obstruct.

  1. In what way does GIS technology help city planners develop Portland, Oregon?

Sample Answer:

The GIS technology administered in Portland, Oregon, offers valuable geographic information to city planners. By analyzing and combining data sets and maps from the GIS, planners can effectively address residents’ needs and achieve long-term development goals for the success of the city.

  1. Six Essential Elements
  2. Examine the following image of terrace farming in Asia. Consider the six essential elements of geography discussed in the lesson. Describe three of the six essential elements as they relate to the image.

Sample answer:

Answers will vary. The following examples cover four of the essential elements.

  • Places and regions: The image shows a mountainous region. This geographic location is rural; no towns or cities can be seen in the image.
  • Physical systems: The mountains in the image were created by slow geographic events.
  • Human systems: The terrace farms in the image show how local people are adapting to the land and using the region’s resources.
  • Environment and society: The image shows how local people have changed their geographic surroundings by carving away the mountain to create fields for farming. Because traditional farming is difficult in mountainous regions, people have adapted farming techniques to their local geography.
  1. Look at the map below that shows the location of the 2004 earthquake in Indonesia that caused a tsunami. Consider the six essential elements listed in the lesson. Describe three of the six essential elements as they relate to the image.

Sample answer:

Answers will vary. The following examples cover four of the essential elements.

  • The world in spatial terms:The image is a map that clearly defines where the earthquake and tsunami occurred. The shaded areas indicate the countries affected by this natural disaster, and the ocean involved is clearly marked.
  • Places and regions: The map highlights the boundariesbetween countries.
  • Physical systems and environment and society:Both elements relate to the map because the earthquake and tsunami are natural disasters that influence how people interact with the environment.
  • Human systems: The map shows theareas where populations were most affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

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