Transcript 1 The Geographic Methodx

The Geographic Method
What is Geography?

Not just the physical features of the earth and
atmosphere.

It can also be broken down into:

economic geography

urban geography

political geography

cultural geography
Integrative Discipline

It blends many areas together.

Example Acid Rain:
 You need to know about chemistry if you are going
to know how sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide
react with moisture in the air to produce acid rain.
 You must know about biology to understand the
effect acid rain will have on life forms.
 You must know about economics to see the cost of
changing over power plants in order to reduce
pollution.
Viewing the World

Geographers have to look at the world in three
separate ways.
 as a distinct physical body called Earth.
 as an interconnected environment
 a place where we live
 When
a geographer looks at these three areas,
they use the geographic method.
Geographic Method
Each step leads to the next.
1.
Ask appropriate questions about what is being
studied. Where is it? Why is it there? How is it
arranged? What process led to its formation?
2.
Collect information to answer the questions. You
might use graphs, surveys, field studies, etc.
3.
Organize the information studied. Also summarize.
4.
Analyze the information. Compare patterns, project
future happenings on past trends.
5.
Come up with an answer to your question.
Six Concepts of
Geography
Geography: Our Goal in Understanding

Geography is the study of the earth and its features
(physical environment) and of the distribution of life on
the earth, including human life (human environment), and
how these environments interact with each other

Global geography is a two way interaction between the
human and natural worlds that reveals their
interconnectedness:
•
Mining and harvesting other natural resources are human
activities that affects the natural environment
•
Hurricanes are a process of the natural world that affects
human communities
Concept 1: Location

One of the first things that people ask is where did it happen?

Location provides the starting point for many types of geographic
study.

Location can be either absolute (45° 34’ 44” N) or relative
(approximately 40 km west of Halifax).

Absolute: Grid references, latitude, longitude, address

Relative: The use of landmarks, Time reference, Compass Direction.

For example, lets say there was a car accident.

Some location questions might be:

have there been other accidents in this same area?

Did the accident happen as a result of weather?

Did the accident happen because of the way the roads are built
in the area?
Concept 2: Region


A distinctive part of the earth that has consistent or easily
recognizable physical or cultural features such as:
•
coastal regions
•
rainforests
•
resource base (corn belt)
•
political structure and political boundaries
•
ethnic regions
•
cultural regions (religion, language)
•
income (LLDC’s, LDC’s, and MDC’s)
The scale or size of a region can vary greatly i.e. Annapolis
Valley or North America could both be regions used in a
geographic study
Concept 3: Spatial Pattern

Most of the events that geographers study can be found
in more than one location or region in the world− this
is what is referred to as spatial distribution

A Spatial pattern is when geographers can find a
pattern of the same event in places that are far apart

Examples:
•
All over the world, wealthy suburbs are built far away from
industry or landfill sites – this pattern is recognized on
each continent.
•
These can also include similarities in plant life and animal
life.
Concept 4: Spatial Interaction

An event in one location or region can lead to change in another
location or region; impacting another region either positively or
negatively

Examples:
•
Forest fires in Quebec interior caused hazy skies in HRM (1000km)
•
AIDS and other diseases can travel to other parts of the World very
quickly due to technology (travel)
•
Arab Spring refers to the democratic uprisings that arose
independently and spread across the Arab world in 2011. The
movement originated in Tunisia in December 2010 and quickly took
hold in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.
•
Also occurs on the smaller level – a change in zoning in one area can
mean the prices of homes drop in a nearby area.
Concept 5: Human/Environmental
Interaction

•
Impact of the environment on humans 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)
In contrast to other spatial interactions, this type has impacts that are
local; this means they are not usually noticed thousands of kilometers
away
Example:

If we begin new construction for a housing development near a
waterway, we might see increased pollution in that waterway.
Concept 6: Culture




When studying geography, we must take into
consideration the idea of culture, or the customs and
world view of a particular people
Different cultures have different views on
environment, the use of natural resources, and the
best way of living in human communities
By learning about a people’s culture we can better
understand interactions with others and with the
environment
Culture can vary greatly within a small region
 Example: The difference of how rural and urban
Canadians view rain