THIS IS GEOGRAPHYTHINKING GEOGRAPHICALLY

Chapter 1

BELL RINGER

• Why there?

• What are some factors that have led to these three population clusters?

Practicing Spatial PerspectiveWorld Population Densities

WHAT DID WE COME UP WITH?

• Climate?

• Access to fresh water?

• Access to trade routes

• Food availability/Agriculture

• Physical Geography

UNIT AT A GLANCE

1.1 Introduction to Maps

1.2 Geographic Data

1.3 The Power of Geographic Data

1.4 Spatial Concepts

1.5 Human–Environmental Interaction

1.6 Scales of Analysis

1.7 Regional Analysis

BIG IDEAS

1) Patterns and Spatial Organization - Why do geographers study relationships and patterns among and between places?

2) Impacts and Interactions - How do geographers use maps to help them discover patterns and relationships in the world?

3) Spatial Processes and Societal Change - How do geographers use a spatial perspective to analyze complex issues and relationships?

TOPIC 1.1 INTRODUCTION TO MAPS

• Geographers use maps and data to depict relationships of time, space, and scale.

• LEARNING OBJECTIVE - Identify types of maps, the types of information presented in maps, and different kinds of spatial patterns and relationships portrayed in maps.

• ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE –• 1) Types of maps include reference maps and thematic maps. • 2) Types of spatial patterns represented on maps include absolute and relative

distance and direction, clustering, dispersal, and elevation• 3) All maps are selective in information; map projections inevitably distort

spatial relationships in shape, area, distance, and direction.

INTRODUCING GEOGRAPHY

• Two basic concepts to explain why every location is unique

• 1) Place – is a specific point on earth distinguished by a particular characteristic

• 2) Region – an area defined by a distinctive characteristic(s)

• A region can be Formal or Functional

• Formal - also known as a uniform or homogeneous region, is an area in which everyone shares in common, one or more distinctive characteristics

• A functional region, also known as a nodal region, is a region organized around a node or focal point. (Works together)

PERCEPTUAL/VERNACULAR REGION

• Perceptual/Vernacular Region – A region the way you perceive it to be

• If I said the “Deep South,” everyone in this class would have a different idea in their heads

INTRODUCING GEOGRAPHY

Geographers are interested in how places are interrelated and there are three basic concepts

1) Scale – the relationship between a section of the earth being studied and the earth as a whole

2) Space – the gap or interval between two objects

3) Connection – the relationship between people and/or objects across the space

SCALE

• Small scale = less detail

• Large scale = more detail

Large Small

BELLE CHASSE

Largest to smallest Scale

Smallest to Largest Map

COORDINATES

• Latitude – imaginary lines circling the globe east-west direction and never touch (why they’re also called parallels)

• Measure distance north or south from the equator (0º Latitude)

• Longitude – imaginary lines that run N-S and touch at the poles (also called meridians)

• Measure distance east and west from the Prime Meridian (0º Longitude)

ELEVATION

• Elevation -The altitude of a place above sea level or ground.

CONTOUR LINES

COORDINATES OF GERMANY’S

CAPITAL?

BELL RINGER

• Take out a piece of paper

• Draw your world map and include all continents

MAP PROJECTIONS

• Projections? – A map is a two-dimensional representation of a curved surface. As a result, every map is subject to distortion. (Peel an orange and force the rind into a flat position. What happens?

• A portion of the earth’s surface is “projected” onto a flat surface

MAP LINKS

• How did “America” get its name?

• Time Zone Map

• Why we still need paper maps

• Mercator vs. True Size

• Maps and Distortion (3D to 2D)

Small increments of distortion overall, large at the poles

Fairly accurate in the middle of the globe, distorted edges at poles

Gall Peters

Where’s the distortion?

TYPES OF DISTORTION

• Shape – can look more elongated or squat

• Distance – can become increased or decreased

• Relative Size – one area may look larger or smaller than another

• Direction – can become distorted (think compass points changing slightly)

MAIN MAP TYPES

• Reference maps - show where something is in space. Their purpose is to display geographical data (landforms, coastlines, waterways, etc.) and political data (political boundaries, settlements, transportation networks, etc.) for their own sake.

• Thematic maps (AKA Special Purpose)- tell a story about a place. Thematic maps may display the same geographical or political data shown on general maps as a base layer but then map some physical, economic, or cultural phenomenon or top of that base layer. That phenomenon (i.e. climate, crop distribution, religious affiliations, deforestation, population density, TV reception--the list is endless) is the theme of a thematic map and the story that particular map is telling.

REFERENCE OR THEMATIC MAP

BELL RINGER

• You are opening a new business in Plaquemines Parish (You choose the business)

• Thinking like a geographer, you decide to use GIS to help you locate your business

• What layers would you use (Come up with at least three) to help ensure that your business will succeed?

TOPIC 1.2 GEOGRAPHIC DATA

• Geographers use maps and data to depict relationships of time, space, and scale.

• LEARNING OBJECTIVE – Identify different methods of geographic data collection.

• ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE –• 1) Data may be gathered in the field by organizations or by individuals. • 2) Geospatial technologies include geographic information systems (GIS),

satellite navigation systems, remote sensing, and online mapping and visualization.

• 3) Spatial information can come from written accounts in the form of field observations, media reports, travel narratives, policy documents, personal interviews, landscape analysis, and photographic interpretation.

• Geospatial Data - Refers to equipment used in the visualization, measurement, and analysis of earth's features, typically involving such systems as GPS (global positioning systems), GIS (geographical information systems), and RS (remote sensing)

HOW DO GEOGRAPHERS COLLECT DATA

• Satellite navigation system (GPS) - GPS stands for Geographic Positioning System. This system uses data from satellites to pin-point a location on earth and help people find their way to a destination.

• Uses coordinates to give direction, location, etc…

HOW DO GEOGRAPHERS COLLECT DATA

• Geographic Information System (GIS) - a collection of computer hardware and software that permits spatial data to be collected, recorded, stored, retrieved, manipulated, analyzed, and displayed to the user. Landscape. the overall appearance of an area, usually composed of natural and human-induced influences.

• Think of layers stacked resulting in more and more detail and information

GIS

•Each layer represents something of interest

SATELLITE IMAGERY

• Yep, taking pictures from a satellite

• Remote sensing refers to the process of taking pictures of the Earth's surface from satellites (or, earlier, airplanes) to provide a greater understanding of the Earth's geography over large distances.

TOPIC 1.3 THE POWER OF GEOGRAPHIC DATA

• Geographers use maps and data to depict relationships of time, space, and scale.

• LEARNING OBJECTIVE – Explain the geographical effects of decisions made using geographical information.

• ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE –

• 1) Geospatial and geographical data, including census data and satellite imagery, are used at all scales for personal, business and organizational, and governmental decision-making purposes.

HOW DO GEOGRAPHERS USE DATA?

• We've already discussed GPS and GIS,. Geographers also use other methods to obtain data….

• Census - the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. ... The modern census is essential to international comparisons of any kind of statistics, and censuses collect data on many attributes of a population, not just how many people there are.

• Population, gender, ethnicity, religion, language, income,……..

HOW DO GEOGRAPHERS USE DATA?

• Let’s come up with some ideas?

• Using Geospacial Tools…..

• Students in Action Using Geo Tools

TOPIC 1.4 SPATIAL CONCEPTS

• Geographers analyze relationships among and between places to reveal important spatial patterns.

• LEARNING OBJECTIVE – Define major geographic concepts that illustrate spatial relationships.

• ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE –

• 1) Spatial concepts include absolute and relative location, space, place, flows, distance decay, time-space compression, and pattern.

LOCATION

• Two types

• 1) Absolute – the exact or precise location (Belle Chasse High School is located at 2346 Hwy. 23, Belle Chasse, La. 70037 or 29.85ºN 89.99ºW

• 2) Relative – the location of a place in relation to a known point (Belle Chasse High School is located about 8 miles southeast of New Orleans or BCHS is located along the Mississippi River in SE Louisiana

DIRECTION

• Absolute direction – (think Compass Rose) the direction(s) that do not change regardless of which way you’re facing (N,S,E,W)

• Relative direction – the direction in relation to an object’s orientation (If you’re facing west, north would be to your right…

• Direction distortion

DISTANCE

• Absolute distance – the exact distance between two points (miles, feet, etc..)

• Relative distance – the approximate distance between two places

FLOWS

• Transportation geography examines flows of people, goods, and information as well as their relationships with the urban, economic, social, political, and cultural aspects of human society. ... It therefore is an exciting time to study the interactions among Transportation, Technology, and Society.

DISTANCE DECAY

• Distance decay is a geographical term which describes the effect of distance on cultural or spatial interactions. The distance decay effect states that the interaction between two locales declines as the distance between them increases.

• Think Belle Chasse and Gretna vs. Belle Chasse and Baton Rouge. Which combo has more interaction? Why?

SPACE-TIME COMPRESSION

• Space time compression is the increasing sense of connectivity that seems to be bringing people closer together even thought their distances are the same. Space time compression is the solution to distance decay because technology (Internet, cell phones) is allowing us to communicate more across longer distances.

BELL RINGER

• What is the density of student desks in our class?

• What area of the class is most concentrated (desks)?

DISTRIBUTION PROPERTIES

• The arrangement of a feature in space is known as its distribution

• Density – the frequency with which something occurs in space

• People, Houses, Cars, Trees, Grocery Stores, etc..

• The area can be measured in feet, yards, miles, meters, kilometers, etc…

• Population density = people per square mile/kilometer

DISTRIBUTION PROPERTIES

• Concentration – the extent of a feature’s spread over a space

• If close together, they are clustered

• If further apart, they are dispersed

PATTERNS

• Patterns are the geometric arrangement of objects in space

DISTRIBUTION PROPERTIES

TOPIC 1.5 HUMAN–ENVIRONMENTAL INTERACTION

• Geographers analyze relationships among and between places to reveal important spatial patterns.

• LEARNING OBJECTIVE – Explain how major geographic concepts illustrate spatial relationships.

• ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE –

• 1) Concepts of nature and society include sustainability, natural resources, and land use.

• 2) Theories regarding the interaction of the natural environment with human societies have evolved from environmental determinism to possibilism.

SUSTAINABILITY

• Environmental sustainability allows for the needs of man to be met without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

• A resource is a substance in the environment that is useful to people, economically and technologically feasible to access, and socially acceptance to use. ... A renewable resource is produced in nature more rapidly than it is consumed by humans.

• Have we changed the environment?

SUSTAINABILITY

• Land use involves the management and modification of natural environment or wilderness into built environment such as settlements and semi-natural habitats such as arable fields, pastures, and managed woods.

• Cities from the ground up

• Could we do this?

ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINISM

• Environmental determinism is the belief that the physical environment, especially the climate and terrain, actively shapes cultures. Human responses are molded almost entirely by the environment.

POSSIBILISM

• Possibilism. The theory that the physical environment may set limits on human actions, but people have the ability to adjust to the physical environment and choose a course of action from many alternatives. Region. An area of Earth distinguished by a distinctive combination of cultural and physical features.

TOPIC 1.6 SCALES OF ANALYSIS

• Geographers analyze relationships among and between places to reveal important spatial patterns.

• LEARNING OBJECTIVE – 1) Define scales of analysis used by geographers. 2) Explain what scales of analysis reveal.

• ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE –

• 1) Scales of analysis include global, regional, national, and local.

• 2) Patterns and processes at different scales reveal variations in, and different interpretations of, data.

SCALE OF ANALYSIS

• In geography, there are two different types of scales, the map scale, which is the distance on a map compared to the actual distance on Earth, and the scale of analysis, which is the spatial extent of a variable. Different scales of analysis can drastically change your perception of an area.

• Scale of Analysis Applied to Brazil

TOPIC 1.7 REGIONAL ANALYSIS

• Geographers analyze complex issues and relationships with a distinctively spatial perspective.

• LEARNING OBJECTIVE – Describe different ways that geographers define regions

• ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE –

• 1) Regions are defined on the basis of one or more unifying characteristics or on patterns of activity.

• 2) Types of regions include formal, functional, and perceptual/vernacular.

• 3) Regional boundaries are transitional and often contested and overlapping.

• 4) Geographers apply regional analysis at local, national, and global scales.

REGIONAL LINKS

• Amazon 1 Day Shipping

• United States Belts? Regions are Us?

• Vernacular South. Where does it begin for you?

PLAQUEMINES VERNACULAR (IN YOUR MIND)

• Let’s draw Plaquemines

• UTR vs. DTR

• East Bank vs. West Bank