Monday – September 12, 2011 Mr. Lombardi

MrLombardi22@aol.com

Aim: Why is it important to study geography?Do Now: Answer the following:A.Were you born in a country other than the U.S.A.?B.Did you visit any countries over the summer outside of the U.S.A.?C.If you could visit ANY country in the world (except countries you’ve already been to) what country would you like to visit? Why would you like to visit that country?

H.W. #1

• Contract Sheet– Filled out, signed, returned

Vocabulary List1. Geography

2. Relative location

3. Absolute location

4. Latitude

5. Longitude

6. Climate

7. Migration

8. Trade

9. Cultural diffusion

Geography

• The study of where people, places and things are located.

• Ways that different things relate to each other at specific places.

• Ways that places connect/interact with each other.

1. Location• Tells you where a place is on Earth.

• Relative Location: the description of a place in relation to another.

–Example: • John Bowne HS is west of Queens

College.

• CUNY Law School is south of JBHS.

The 5 Themes of Geography

1. Location (cont.)• Absolute Location: Exact location of

a place using lines of latitude and longitude.• Latitude – lines drawn measuring north

and south of the equator.

• Longitude – lines drawn measuring east and west of the prime meridian that stretches from the North Pole to the South Pole.

2.Place

• The study of physical features and human characteristics of a place.–Examples:

• Physical: landforms, rivers, lakes, climate, soil, etc.

• Human Characteristics: religion, settlement patterns, languages, etc.

3. Region• Division of the world into physical

and cultural regions.

1.Politically: the Middle East is a political region.

2.Physically: rainforests of Brazil

3.Culturally: Muslim areas are influenced by the religion of Islam.

4. Movement• Transporting of people, goods,

and ideas.

• This occurs through:o Migration – moving to a new placeo Trade – exchange of goodso Cultural diffusion – exchange of

beliefs and ideas between cultures.

5. Human-Environment Interaction

• How people change their environment or adapt to it.– Humans shape the landscape

through their interaction with the land.

– Examples: dams, cutting trees, canals

Summary• Why do you think geography

is important?

• How can geography make history easier to understand?

Discussion Questions1. How can geographic features in a certain

location affect humans who occupy that region?

2. Why does geography affect culture?

3. How does each individual “theme” of geography help shape the world we live in?

4. How can we use geography to understand history?

5. Why do you think geography is important?