Why Geography Matters

Vocabulary words � geography

�  relative location

�  absolute location

�  physical feature

�  human feature

� region

� modify

� adapt

� cause

� effect

�  geography: The study of the Earth’s physical and human features.

Geography � What the Earth looks like.

� How people react with the environment.

� Relative location: Where a place is in relation to other places.

� Relative location is usually described by:

1.  Direction (North, West, South, East)

2.  Landmarks (Close to McDonalds, Opposite EAIS)

3.  Distance to and from another place(3 kilometers from the mall)

Relative location � The Nile River is in Egypt.

� Argentina is near Brazil.

� Nour’s house is opposite Cairo Festival City.

� Alexandria is 179 kilometers from Cairo

� absolute location: Exact location on Earth. You use latitude and longitude to find absolute location. Absolute location is the global address of a place.

Absolute location

� physical feature: a feature that has been formed by nature.

Examples; Landforms, bodies of water, plants, animals

Landforms

Mountains Hills

Cave Desert

Bodies of Water

Oceans, Lakes, Rivers

Plants and Animals

�  human feature: Features that are built by humans.

Buildings

Roads

Farms

� region: An area on Earth whose features make it different from other areas.

� The different features can be physical, human, economic, cultural or political.

� modify: to make a change.

People change the environment when they build roads, bridges, canals.

� adapt: to change in order to make more useful.

� cause: an event or an action that makes something happen.

� effect: The result of an event or action.

Match the vocabulary word with the meaning

�  To make a change.

�  The exact location of a place on Earth.

�  Landforms, plants and animals in a place.

�  An action that makes something happen.

�  The study of the Earth’s physical and human features.

� Physical features

� Modify

� Geography

� Cause

� Absolute location

Why Geography Matters

� What is Geography?

It is the study of the Earth and the people on it.

Who is a geographer?

Geographers are people who study geography.

THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY

� Themes are topics that geographers use to study the Earth’s features.

Themes of Geography There are FIVE (5) themes of geography.

�  They are easily remembered as MR. HELP

M: MOVEMENT

R: REGION

HE: HUMAN- ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS

L: LOCATION

P: PLACE

Themes of Geography

MOVEMENT MOVEMENT: It is how people, products and ideas move from place to place using transportation and communication.

•  Movement of people: Cars, Trucks, Trains and Planes. •  Movement of

products: Cars, Trucks, Trains and Planes.

� How can ideas and information be moved from place to place?

�  Ideas and information are moved using:. Computer (e-mail, internet), mail, TV, radio and magazine.

MOVEMENT � Movement helps us

understand:

1.  How we connect and depend on people in other parts of the world.

2.  The causes and effects of movement.

MOVEMENT How are people and products moved from one place to another?

REGION � Region: This is an area of land that has

common features

� The common features can be:

1. physical

2. human

3. religious

4. cultural

HUMAN- ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS

� Human- Environment Interaction: This is how people depend on their environment.

� People modify (change)their environment by building cities. They clear lands to build bridges and roads.

� The environment can cause people to adapt or change to their surroundings.

Example: Wearing warm clothes in winter.

LOCATION � Location describes where

something is on Earth.

� It answers the question “where is it?”

� There are two kinds of location

LOCATION

Location

Relative Location

Absolute Location

1. What is the difference between relative and absolute location?

2. Give two examples of relative location?

3. What are two things used to describe absolute location?

PLACE � This answers the question

‘What is it like there?’

� Every place on Earth has its own special quality. It can be Physical or Human

PLACE- PHYSICAL FEATURES

1. What are physical features?

2. Give three examples of physical features.

3. Are pyramids physical features?

PHYSICAL FEATURES

PLACE-HUMAN FEATURES

1. What are human features?

2. Give three examples of human features.

� What are the 5 themes of Geography?

MR HELP

Essential Elements of Geography

� The topics that Geographers use to understand the Earth and its people is called Essential Elements of Geography.

MAPS Geographers create maps to:

1. Organize and locate information about people and places.

2. Analyze information.

Why Culture and Society Matter

Vocabulary Words

� culture

� society

� heritage

culture: A way of life that sets people apart from others.

�  CULTURE VIDEO

Culture

Religion

Food

Language

Sports

Holidays

Art

Society: An organized group of people living and working together under a set of rules and traditions.

Heritage: The elements of culture that have been passed down from one generation to another.

Studying culture and

society

People’s way of doing

things People’s ideas,

skills and arts

Each society has a culture that is

unique.

1. What are the things that make up a country’s culture?

2. Can culture be passed down from one generation to another?

3. _________________ is an organized group of people living together under a set of rules and traditions.

4. Give two things you learn when you study culture and society.

Why Civics and Government Matter

Vocabulary Words

� Government

� Civics

� Civic Participation

� Government: A group of leaders and laws that help people live safely in their community, state, or country.

� Civics: It is the study of the rights and duties citizens.

� Teaches you about;

1.  Rights and responsibilities of a citizen.

2.  How rights and responsibilities are different in every government.

Civic participation: Being concerned and being involved with issues relating to your community, state, country or the world.

�  VIDEO

Studying civics and

government

How governments work today

Kinds of government

Rights and responsibilities

of citizens

1. What is civics?

2. Why is necessary to have a government?

3. Being involved with things in your community, state or world is ___________________________.

4. What do you learn when you study civics and government?

Why Economics Matter Vocabulary Words

1. Economy

2. Economics

Economy: The way people use resources (money) to meet their needs.

Economics: The study of of how goods and services are distributed in the world.

Studying economics

How economic

systems have changed

How economics systems came to

be

How goods and services are

produced and distributed

1. _________________ is how people use money to meet their needs.

2. _______________ is the study of the way goods and services are produced and distributed.

3. What do you learn when you study economy and economics?