Thinking Like a Geographer
The definition of geography
What is the study of Earth and its peoples, places, and environments called?
The definition of location
What theme of geography describes where something is found on Earth?
Definition of a globe
What is the most accurate way to show places on Earth?
The subsystem of Earth’s water, including oceans, lakes, rivers, and ice
What is the hydrosphere?
Old Stone Age
What does the term “Paleolithic” mean?
To think about Earth’s features in terms of their locations, shapes, and relationships to one another
What does it mean to think spatially in geography?
Absolute location is the exact location using latitude and longitude, while relative location describes where a place is compared to another place
What is the difference between absolute and relative location?
How a measured space on the map corresponds to actual distances on Earth
What does the scale bar on a map tell you?
The definition of atmosphere
What is the name of the thin layer of gases surrounding Earth?
Nomads
What were Paleolithic people who moved regularly to survive called?
Name one question a geographer might ask about a mountain to think spatially.
What is the mountain made of? (or similar, e.g., How high is it? or What is its location?)
It is built on a crescent-shaped bend along the Mississippi River
Why is New Orleans called “the Crescent City”?
Maps are flat and distort the round Earth, while globes are spherical like Earth
Why are maps less accurate than globes?
Tectonic plates are large pieces of Earth’s crust that float on the mantle and move slowly due to heat from within the planet
What are tectonic plates, and how do they move?
Wild nuts, berries, fruits, grains, and green plants
What types of food did Paleolithic people gather?
They study the unique combinations of physical and human features in a landscape to understand the people and environment there
How do geographers use landscapes to learn about places?
People affect the environment by building roads, draining swamps, or polluting the air, which can harm ecosystems
How do people affect the environment, according to the theme of human-environment interaction?
A map projection converts the round Earth to a flat map; cartographers use different projections to prioritize accuracy in size, shape, or other features depending on the map’s purpose
What is a map projection, and why do cartographers use different ones?
It creates a region of reduced rainfall on the side of a mountain facing away from the ocean, as moist air rises and cools, dropping rain on the ocean-facing side
How does the rain shadow effect influence climate?
Flint tools with sharp edges made cutting, hunting, and preparing food easier, improving survival and influencing settlement patterns
How did the invention of flint tools impact Paleolithic life?
Explain how geography differs from history and biology in its focus.
Geography focuses on Earth’s peoples, places, and environments in terms of space and place, while history studies events over time, and biology studies how living things survive and relate
Region groups places with shared characteristics, like climate or religion, allowing geographers to compare patterns and identify unique features within larger areas
Describe how the theme of region helps geographers understand the world.
A GIS links data about physical and human features, like soil moisture and plant health, to create maps and analyze patterns, helping farmers decide what to plant or how to irrigate
How does a Geographic Information System (GIS) help a farmer make decisions?
Explain how the movement of ocean currents affects Earth’s climate.
Ocean currents carry warm water from the Equator to higher latitudes and cold water toward the Equator, helping to balance Earth’s temperature and influence climate
The Ice Ages forced humans to adapt with warmer clothing, sturdier shelters, and fire; a land bridge exposed by low sea levels allowed migration from Asia to North America
How did the Ice Ages affect human survival and migration?