Investigatingthe World

The Nature of Geography

Introduction

Geography involves two key dimensions:

Spatial dimension - where things are and why they are there

Ecological dimension - how humans interact with environments

The physical worldThe main pieces of land on the Earth’s surface

are called continents. There are seven continents—Australia, North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Antarctica

The physical worldThe main saltwater areas on the Earth’s surface

are called oceans. There are five oceans—Pacific, Indian, Atlantic, Arctic and Southern

Learn that Lingo!!!!

DefinitionsKey Word Definition

Cartographer A specialised geographer who draws maps

Citizen a person who is part of a society with the right toprotection from it and the responsibility of loyalty to it

Condensation the process by which water vapour turns to liquid

Contour a line on a map joining places of equal height

Ecosystem a community of organisms interacting with oneanother and with the environment in which they live

Definitions continuedKey Word Definition

Environment The total surroundings

Evaporation the process by which water turns from liquid tovapour

Human features areas of the Earth's surface that have been built or changed by humans

Isobar a line on a synoptic chart joining places of equal air pressure

nutrient A source of nourishment

Definitions continuedKey Word Definition

Physical features areas of the Earth’s surface that are naturally occurring or have been largely unaltered by humans

Precipitation any form of water falling to the Earth’s surfaceincluding rain, hail and snow

Relative humidity the amount of moisture in the air compared to the amount it could hold

Settlement A place where people live

Temperature a measure of the amount of heat energy

Definitions completeKey Word Definition

Water cycle the continuous movement of water, in its different states, between land, sea and air (also called thehydrological cycle)

Wind direction Where the wind is coming from

Wind speed The rate of air movement

The Nature Of Geography

Geography is concerned with where people and places are located and the patterns of features on the Earth’s surface.

By studying Geography we can become active and informed citizens and do something to help protect our future

Physical and Human features

Physical features are those that occur naturally

Human features are those that are made – agriculture, industrial, economics, political, settlements, socio-cultural

Geographers examine environments at a variety of scales from local to global, and are particularly interested in the relationships between physical and human features.

Examples of physical features include the weather, air, plants (flora), animals (fauna), rocks and soil, as well as the water in rivers, lakes and seas, solar energy (heat and light)

Examples of human features include houses, schools, roads, railways, shopping and entertainment centres.

(a) Digital PortfolioCreate a PowerPoint presentation of the wonders of

the world

You must include: Labels for all of the pictures One slide showing a world map marked with the location

of each of the wonders.

Websites that may be helpful include: http://geography.about.com/ www.bing.com www.google.com

You may work in pairs.

(a) Activity7 Human Wonders of

the World

Chichen Itza, Mexico -

Christ Redeemer, Brazil -

The Great Wall, China

Machu Picchu, Peru

Petra, Jordan

The Roman Colosseum, Italy

The Taj Mahal, India

7 Natural Wonders of the World

Aurora (Northern Lights) Great Barrier Reef Grand Canyon Paricutin Victoria Falls Mount Everest Harbor of Rio de Janiero

(a) Extension Activity Wonders Of The Ancient World

Pyramids of Giza,

Hanging Gardens of Babylon,

Statue of Zeus at Olympia,

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

Mausoleum of Halicarnassus,

Colossus of Rhodes

The Lighthouse of Alexandria

The Walls of Babylon

Palace of King Cyrus of Persia

Physical Elements Of The Environment

Ecosystemsbiotic—living things, such as plants and animals

abiotic—non-living things, such as water, rocks and soil

The way in which all these things interact in a particular environment is known as an ecosystem.

The three main processes that connect all parts of an ecosystem are the energy flow, water cycling and nutrient cycling

Energy FlowsPlants capture about 1 per cent of the solar energy

that reaches the Earth from the Sun.

Through the process of photosynthesis plants convert this energy into carbohydrates that are a food source for their growth and the animals that eat them

In an ecosystem:the source of energy is the Sunenergy is stored in the plants and animals, the biotic

partenergy is used for growth and generates heat

The Nutrient Cycle Plants gain the water and nutrients

they need for growth from the soil.

The nutrients then pass along a food chain as plants are eaten by animals and they, in turn, are eaten by other animals.

Eventually the plants and animals die, and the nutrients are returned to the soil by the decomposers.

In the nutrient cycle the plants are the producers animals that eat plants are called

herbivores animals that eat animals are called

carnivores

The Water CycleWater is essential for life and

flows through all ecosystems.

When heated by the Sun, water evaporates, turning into water vapour.

If water vapour rises it cools and condenses forming clouds.

Precipitation falls from the clouds and the water either soaks into the ground or flows over the surface back in to rivers.

What are the odds you are drinking Lincolns Coffee?

(a) Physical Elements Recap

1. Name three physical elements of the environment.

2. What are biotic elements?

3. What are abiotic elements?

4. For each of the following say whether it is biotic or abiotic:1. A tree

2. A river

3. An insect

4. Grass

5. Snow

5. Write a definition for each of the following: a1. Ecosystem

2. Food Chain

3. Producer

Human Elements Of The Environment

OverviewThere are very few environments left in the world

that are completely natural.

In most places humans have had some influence on the landscape.

Land has been cleared for agriculture,

Rivers have been dammed to provide water.

Industries have been developed to process raw materials

People have created settlements in which to live.

AgricultureAgriculture involves human activities that shape

the landscape. the natural environment has been significantly

changed by farming practices. Patterns created vary from patchworks of tiny

fields typical of subsistence farming in Asia to the featureless expanses created by modern commercial grain farming in North America.

IndustryModern high-tech industries are more concerned

with access to their markets and reducing labour costs

Modern business parks exist today and factories have moved from richer to poorer countries to reduce their costs

Industry LocationsFactors affecting location of industry include:

SettlementsSettlements range in size from

isolated farmhouses with one or two people to huge world cities, such as Tokyo with a population over 35 million.

The buildings that people construct within settlements often reflect their culture as well as the physical environment.

1. Describe the buildings in 1.21 and 1.22.2. As a class discuss the lifestyle of the people that live in

each of these settlementsa. What jobs might they dob. What clothes might they wear?c. What food do you think they would eat?d. How would they travel around?e. What leisure activities might they have

3. Which place would you most like to live in? Why?