Core Concepts Part 1:Tools of Geography

Core Concepts 1.1The Study of Earth

• Geography: Study of human and nonhuman features of Earth, our home

• Geographers try to answer two basic questions: Where are things located and what are they there?

Directions

• In order to study Earth, geographers need to measure it and locate points on its surface

• Geographers use cardinal directions and intermediate directions

• The cardinal directions are north, east, south, and west

• Intermediate directions are between the cardinal directions: Southwest and Northeast

Latitude

• Earth is almost a perfect sphere, which is a round-shaped body

• Geographers use imaginary lines around Earth to help locate places on the surface

• The Equator is an imaginary line drawn around Earth between the north and south poles

• The Equator is at the 0 degree latitude line• Latitude: Distance north and south of the equator• Degrees: Units that measure angles

• Lines of latitude form east-west circles around the globe

• They are also called parallels, because they never cross each other

• The equator divides Earth in half• Hemisphere: Each half of Earth • The half of Earth north of the equator is known as

the Northern Hemisphere while the half of Earth south of the Equator is the Southern Hemisphere

Longitude

• The Prime Meridian runs north and south between the North and South poles

• Prime Meridian and other north-south lines measure longitude, which is the distance in degrees east or west of the Prime Meridian

• The half of Earth east of the Prime Meridian is known as the Eastern Hemisphere while the half of Earth west of the Prime Meridian is the Western Hemisphere

Core Concepts 1.2Geography’s Five Themes

• Geographers use five different themes, or ways of thinking: Location, Place, Human-Environment Interaction, Region, and Movement

Location

• Geographers begin to study a place by finding where it is, or its location

• Absolute location: Describes a place’s exact position on Earth and in terms of longitude and latitude

• Relative location: Location of a place relative to another place

Place

• Place: Refers to the mix of human and nonhuman features at a given location

Region

• Geographers use region to group places that have something in common

• Region: An area with at least one unifying physical or human feature such as climate, landforms, population, or history

Movement

• Movement: Explores how people, goods, and ideas get from one place to another

Human-EnvironmentInteraction

• Human-Environment Interaction: Considers how people affect their environment, or their natural surroundings, and how the environment affects them

Core Concepts 1.3Ways to Show Earth’s Surface

Geographers Use Multiple Ways to Represent Earth’s Surface

Globes• Model of Earth with the same

round shape• Can show continents and oceans,

much as they really are• The scale is the only thing

different• Cannot show many towns and

streets

Photographs• Aerial Photographs: Photographic

images of Earth’s surface taken from the air

• Satellite Images: Pictures of Earth’s surface taken from a satellite in orbit

• Show Earth in great detail• Still hard to show specific

features like roads

Geographic Information Systems• GIS: Computer-based systems that store and

use information linked to geographic locations• Useful to mapmakers and geographers, along

with government agencies and businesses

Map Projections• Flat maps and photos are flat, Earth is round• Showing Earth on a flat surface always brings distortion, which is the loss

of accuracy in the size or position of objects on a map• Projections: Ways to map Earth on a flat surface

Examples of Different Projections

• Equal-Area Projection: Shows the correct size of landmasses but the shapes are distorted

• Robinson Projection: Shows nearly the correct size and shape of most land areas, but the edges have distortions

• Mercator Projection: Shows correct shape and directions, but not true distance or size

Core Concepts 1.4Understanding Maps

• Maps show many different kinds of information

• A map’s key, compass rose, locator map, and scale bar are all vital in reading a map

Parts of Map

• Key: Explains the symbols and shading on a map

• Compass Rose: Shows directions• Scale Bar: How much space on the map

represents a give distance on the land• Locator Map: Shows a larger area than the

main map. It shows where the area on the map is located within this larger area

Check Yourself…!

• Look at and study the highway map of Colorado on page 11 and then answer the following questions…..

• About how many miles is it from Grand Junction to Denver?

• It is about 200-250 miles! • Which interstate highway connects Denver

and Fort Collins?• Interstate Highway 25 connects them!

Core Concepts 1.5Types of Maps

• There are three main types of maps:

• Physical Maps• Political Maps• Special-Purpose Maps

TYPES OF MAPS

Physical Maps: Show physical, or natural, features

Political Maps: Show political units, such as countries or states

Special-Purpose Maps: Show the location or distribution of human or physical features