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Global Geography 12
Introduction to Global Geography:
The Geographic Approach
What we will be looking at in this chapter:
• What is the subject matter of Global
Geography?
• What are its methods?
• What are its major concepts?
• How can studying global geography help us
resolve some of the crises the Earth is facing
today?
Hot Topics for this Chapter:
• Explaining Geography: What is Geography? 
“Ge” is the Greek word meaning “Earth” and
“Graphia” in Greek means “writings”. The root of
the word means writings of the Earth. Geography
is the study of the physical and human
environments of the world and the way in which
these environments interact with each other.
Geography involves the whole Earth, the people
living there and the connections people make
with different places.
Hot Topics for this Chapter:
• What is Global Geography?  Emphasizes
the two-way interactions in between humans
and their environment (human-environmental
interaction). For example, a hurricane is a
natural process that can have a devastating
effect on human communities. Mining or
industrial operations are human processes
that can have a devastating effect on the
environment.
Hot Topics for this Chapter:
• The Integrative Discipline  Geography acts as the
vehicle for integrating, or blending together, the
research of specialties in different fields of study.
• Cartography, chemistry, geology, meteorology,
sociology and many others are integrated together to
create geographic concepts..
3 ways Geographers look at the world
• As the distinct physical body called Earth
• As an interconnected physical, chemical and biological
environment (interconnectness)
• As a place where human beings live
Therefore geography deals mainly with spatial
Hot Topics for this Chapter:
• The Geographical Method  The
Geographical Method is when geographers
examine spatial relationships/spatial patterns
and are seeking to answer certain questions or
solve a particular problem based on trends.
Six Fundamental Concepts of the Geographic
Method 
• Location – where did it happen? Can be specific or general
• Region – area of land that has recognizable features; scale,
size can vary
• Spatial Pattern – the effect of something occurring in
different areas. If the same affect can be found again in
places that are far apart, it is known as spatial pattern.
Distance Decay Pattern explains that as the distance
increases, the intensity or amount of what is being
measured decreases.
• Spatial Interaction – an event in one location or region can
lead to change in another location or region some distance
away. Ex. An erupting volcano in one part of the world may
cause decreased sunlight in cities 1000’s of kilometers
away.
Six Fundamental Concepts of the
Geographic Method 
• Human/Environment Interaction – some spatial
interactions are the result either of the impact the
environment had on humans or the impact humans have
on the environment. The impacts are local. Ex. Mining,
tornado.
• Culture – the customs or world-view of an area. People
have to realize that people of different cultures have
different views on the environment, the use of natural
resources and the best way of living in human
communities. In order to understand this we have to learn
about different cultures.
• In pairs work on question 7 on page 14. Then complete
question 9 on page 15
Key Terms
• Sustainable Development  Every nation has the right to
develop its natural resources in a way to grant its people
economic self-sufficiency. This can be done through
industry or agriculture to produce goods and services sold
for a profit. Sustainable development means using natural
resources in such a way as to ensure that there will always
be sufficient supplies for the future generations. It also
means using natural resources in a way that does not
damage the environment. Working with the world in a
natural way that does not damage the environment.
Examples: (1) Reducing pollution and slowing down global
warming. (2) Increasing forested areas to meet
environmental and energy needs in the developing world.
(3) Slowing population growth. (4) Reducing or canceling
the debt of developing countries.
Key Terms
• United Nations  Founded in 1945;
its purpose is to promote peace
security and human rights, to
develop friendly relations among
nations of the world co-operate in
solving their economic, social and
cultural problems.
Key Terms
• Global Village  Devices such as computers,
television and telephones have the effect of
shrinking time and space by greatly speeding
up communications between different parts of
the world. Countries of the world now
depend on each other for their property and
well being. One country’s problems can
create similar problems for nations on the
other side of the globe.
•
Mc Luhan - The Medium is the Message – YouTube
Marshall Mcluhan Full lecture: The medium is the message - 1977 part 1 v 3 - YouTube
Key Terms
• Interdependence  Electronic devices have brought
people around the world closer together by allowing
them to communicate with each other almost
instantaneously. At the same time, these
communicating devices have made widely separated
groups of people realize how dependent they are on
each other for their health and well being. Decisions in
one part of the world can have serious consequences
in parts of the world we never thought we’d touch.
• Example: Sweatshops – The daily buying decisions that
North Americans and Europeans make to maintain
their lifestyles literally control the lives of millions of
people in less developed countries.
Geography
-is the study of the earth and its features
and of the distribution of life on the earth,
including human life
-is the effects of human activity on the
environment and on other humans
- is the physical characteristics, especially
the surface features, of an area
Location
Absolute
- Grid references, latitude, longitude,
address
Relative
- The use of landmarks, eg. 400 meters
past the soccer field
- Time reference, eg. About 10 minutes
down highway #1
- Compass Direction, eg. Travel SW until
you reach Smith Rd.
Spatial Pattern
- Do the same phenomenon occur in
different places?
Eg. In most North American cities,
expensive suburbs are usually built
far away from industry or landfill
sites. This is a spatial pattern.
Spatial Interaction
- an event in one location or region can lead
to change in another location or region
Examples:
- forest fires in Quebec caused hazy skies
near Halifax (1000kms)
- AIDS and other diseases can travel to
other parts of the World very quickly due
to technology (travel)
Human/Environmental
Interaction
Impact of the environment on human and the
impact of humans on the environment:
Dependence - We depend on natural
resources
Adaptation - We adapt to climate (winter
coats) and to landforms (rivers, mountains)
Modification - How we change the
environment to suit our needs (canals for
irrigation, dykes to prevent flooding of
farmland)
Culture
customs and World views of a group
of people (religion, food, music,
clothing, values, gender roles,
conservative vs progressive)
-
- can vary greatly within a small
region – rural vs. urban, street by
street, community values, school
climate
Region
-a distinctive part of the earth defined by a
set of criteria, consistent or recognizable in
features:
- coastal regions
- rainforests
- resource base (corn belt)
- political structure
- ethnic regions
- cultural regions (religion, language)
Regions-grouped together by shared traits
Geography
-is the study of the earth and its features
and of the distribution of life on the earth,
including human life
-is the effects of human activity on the
environment and on other humans
- is the physical characteristics, especially
the surface features, of an area
Location
Absolute
- Grid references, latitude, longitude,
address (Halifax region approx 44.7N 63.5W)
Relative
- The use of landmarks, eg. 400 meters
past the soccer field
- Time reference, eg. About 10 minutes
down highway #1
- Compass Direction, eg. Travel SW until
you reach Smith Rd.
Spatial Pattern
- Do the same phenomenon occur in
different places?
Eg. In most North American cities, expensive suburbs are usually
built far away from industry or landfill sites. This is a Spatial
pattern.
Hotel Formule 1 - Reception
Spatial Interaction
- an event in one location or region can lead
to change in another location or region
Examples:
- forest fires in BC’s interior caused hazy
skies near Vancouver (500kms)
- AIDS and other diseases can travel to
other parts of the World very quickly due
to technology (travel)
Human/Environmental
Interaction
Impact of the environment on human and the
impact of humans on the environment:
Dependence - We depend on natural resources
Adaptation - We adapt to climate (winter coats)
and to landforms (rivers, mountains)
Modification - How we change the environment
to suit our needs (canals for
irrigation, dykes to prevent
flooding of farmland)
Culture
- customs and World views of a group
of people
- can vary greatly within a small
region – rural vs. urban
Region
-a distinctive part of the earth defined by a
set of criteria, consistent or recognizable in
features:
- coastal regions
- rainforests
- resource base (corn belt)
- political structure
- ethnic regions
- cultural regions (religion, language)
• Ancient Futures - Learning from Ladakh
(permaculture) (Part 1 of 6) – YouTube
• Watch this documentary and make note how
it relates to the 6 themes of geography
Some basic map skills
Compass Rose
Latitude (N/S)
LATITUDE AFFECTS CLIMATE
Longitude
INTERNATIONAL DATE LINE
Time Zones
CONTOUR LINES