6th Grade UBD - Unit 1 - The World In Spatial Terms.

The World In Spatial Terms

6th Grade UBD - Unit 1 - The World In Spatial Terms

Preview

Defining Geography- Geography, the study

of physical features and living things on Earth’s

surface, is useful for a variety of purposes.

Locating Places and Navigating- There are

a variety of geographic concepts and tools that

help people locate places and navigate

between them.

Reach Into Your Background

Geographers study all these

changes to the planet, and

more. Why would people be

interested in studying the

physical changes to our

world? What questions do

you think a geographer

would ask about these

changes? (5 minutes)

Partner Activity

Work with a neighbor and compare your answer with theirs. What things are the same and what things are different? (3 minutes)

Key Ideas- Geography

Geography deals with the location and distribution of

physical features and living things on Earth’s surface

and how they relate to each other.

Geographers try to find patterns in Earth’s physical

features and the ways people interact with

the environment.

Geographers classify places with similar characteristics

as regions.

Key Term

Geography –

The study of

Earth’s surfaces

and the

processes that

shape it, the

connections

between people

and their

environment.

The Five Themes Of Geography

Location

Place

Human-Environment Interaction

Movement

Regions

LocationWhere are we?

Absolute Location

A latitude and

longitude (global

location) or a

street address

(local location).

Relative Location

Described by

landmarks, time,

direction or

distance. From

one place to

another.

PlaceWhat is it like there, what kind of place is

it?

Human Characteristics

What are the

main languages,

customs, and

beliefs.

How many

people live,

work, and visit a

place.

Physical Characteristics

Landforms

(mountains, rivers,

etc.), climate,

vegetation,

wildlife, soil, etc.

Human-Environment Interaction

How do humans and the environment affect each other? We depend on it.▪ People depend on the Tennessee River for

water and transportation. We modify it.▪ People modify our environment by heating

and cooling buildings for comfort. We adapt to it. ▪ We adapt to the environment by wearing

clothing suitable for summer (shorts) and winter (coats), rain and shine.

Movement

How are people, goods, ideas moved from

place to place? Human Movement

▪ Trucks, Trains, Planes

Information Movement

▪ Phones, computer (email), mail

Idea Movement

▪ How do fads move from place to place? TV, Radio,

Magazines

Regions

How are Regions similar to and different

from other places? Formal Regions

▪ Regions defined by governmental or administrative

boundaries (States, Countries, Cities)

▪ Regions defined by similar characteristics (Corn Belt, Rocky

Mountain region, Chinatown).

Functional Regions

▪ Regions defined by a function (newspaper service area, cell

phone coverage area).

Remembering the Five Themes

If you can’t remember what they are just ask MR. HELP!M – MovementR – RegionsHE – Human Environment InteractionL – LocationP – Place

Independent Activity

Describe you

and your family

using the Five

Themes of

Geography.

Make sure you

use every

theme. (8

minutes)

Defining Geography

Geography is the study of

the location and distribution of

physical features and living

things on Earth’s surface and

how they relate to each other.

Geographers try to understand

not only where things are

located but also why they are

located there. To do this they use

the Five Themes of Geography.

Key Term

Location- The

position of

anything on

Earth's

surface.

Defining Geography

Geographers see the

world in spatial terms. In

other words, they organize

their work by focusing on

spatial areas, or places.

This sets them apart from

other scholars, such as

historians, who focus on

time periods.

Defining Geography

Geographers look for

both similarities and

differences among

various places on Earth.

This helps them group

places into regions—

nearby areas that share

common characteristics.

Key Term

Region- An

area

distinguished

by a unique

combination of

trends or

features.

Defining Geography

Geographers try to find

patterns in Earth’s

physical features and how

people relate to them.

For example, a

geographer might study

the rivers in a country and

find out that some rivers

flood more than others, or

that flooding happens at

predictable times.

Defining Geography

To acquire, process, and report

information, geographers use a

variety of tools,

including maps and measuring

instruments.

Also, geographers often

construct mental maps.

Mental maps help geographers

to organize and place value on

information.

Key Term

Mental Map-

A map in a

person’s mind

that contains

his or her

knowledge of

an area or

people.

Physical Geography

Physical geography is one of

the main branches of

geography. It involves the

study of Earth’s natural

features, including

water, landforms, vegetation,

and climate.

Physical geographers are

curious about how these

features are interrelated.

Physical Geography

Physical geographers also

analyze how physical features

interact with plant and animal

life to create ecosystems.

An ecosystem consists of all

the living and nonliving things

in an area and how they relate

to and depend on each other.

Key Term

Physical

Geography- A

kind of

geography, the

analysis of

Earth's natural

phenomena,

such as climate,

soil, plants,

animals,

landscape, and

the locations of

all of those

things.

Human Geography

Human geography involves

studying human activities as

they relate to Earth.

This branch of geography

analyzes how people interact

with the environment,

including how they adapt to

—and also change—the

surrounding land.

Human Geography

Human geography also

includes studying patterns of

human settlement, movement,

and cultural development.

In addition, it covers the ways

people organize their

governments and economies to

use and distribute resources.

Modifying and Adapting to the Environment

Human geographers often

examine how people modify

the environment.

They also study issues like

the growth of cities and the

effects on air and water

quality.

Geographers also analyze

how people adapt to

the environment to better

cope with it.

Key Term

Human

Geography-

A kind of

geography, the

analysis of

human

population, its

cultures, and

activities, it's

effect on the

physical world.

Human and Physical GeographyVideo- Human and Physical Geography

Patterns of Human Settlement

Human geographers

also look at where

people settle and what

causes them to move.

People are not

distributed evenly

across Earth’s surface.

Some areas are much

more heavily populated

than others.

Patterns of Human Settlement

Human migration, or

movement from one

place to another, is

another subject of

study for human

geographers.

They look at where

people are moving and

why.

Patterns of Human Settlement

Geographers also look at cultural

patterns. They want to know how

culture varies from place to place?

Do people of the same religion

and ethnic background cluster

together?

In what ways might a community

change as people of different

religions and ethnic backgrounds

move in?

The Relevance of Geography

People everywhere have to

meet their needs for food and

water, for shelter, and for an

organized society.

People have to decide how

best to use the

available natural

resources and how to manage

conflict over resource use.

The Relevance of Geography

Geographers study the ways people

create governments and economic

systems to meet their needs.

Geography will also play a role in

shaping the future. If we want Earth

to continue supporting future

generations, we must think

carefully about how to use

our natural resources and manage

issues such as climate change.

Environmental FactorsVideo- Environmental Factors

Key Ideas- Locating Places and Navigating

Absolute location is the exact place on Earth where something

exists.

Relative location is the general position of where something is

located in relation to other things.

Earth can be divided into four hemispheres: the Eastern,

Western, Northern, and Southern hemispheres.

There are four cardinal directions: north, south, east, and west.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) uses signals from

satellites to calculate the location of a person or vehicle.

Location, Location, Location

Absolute location is the

exact spot on Earth

where something

exists. Absolute

location is usually

expressed according to

a system of imaginary

numbered lines that

crisscross the globe.

Location, Location, Location

Relative location is the

general position of

where something is in

relation to other things.

For example, the United

States can be described

as being south of

Canada and north of

Mexico.

Location, Location, Location

Relative location may not be

as specific as absolute

location, but it can still be

valuable information.

To pinpoint absolute location,

geographers use a grid

system of various imaginary

lines that divide the globe

into different sections.

Location, Location, Location

A continent is a huge

landmass.

There are seven

continents in the world:

Asia, Africa, North

America, South

America, Europe,

Australia, and Antarctica. 

Basic Map Components

Most maps have basic

map components that

help you interpret the

contents of the map:

a legend or key, a

scale, and a

directional indicator.

Basic Map Components

This was not always the

case. Hundreds of years

ago, people knew very

little about the land and

water beyond their own

homes. Their maps

showed only the areas

they traveled.

Basic Map Components

As people explored the

Earth, they collected

information about the

shapes and sizes of islands,

continents, and bodies of

water.

Mapmakers wanted to

present this information

accurately. The best way

was to put it on a globe, a

round ball like the Earth

itself. The only difference

would be the scale.

Basic Map Components

But there is a problem

with globes. Try putting

a globe in your pocket

every morning. A globe

just cannot be complete

enough to be useful and

at the same time be

small enough to be

convenient. People

therefore, invented flat

maps.

Key Term

Compass

Rose– A map

feature that

usually shows

the four

cardinal

directions.

Key Term

Globe– A

round model

of Earth that

shows the

continents and

oceans in their

true shapes.

Key Term

Legend–

The legend,

or key, tells

the user

about the

symbols

used on the

map.

Key Term

Longitude–

The series of

imaginary

lines that run

north and

south from

one pole to

the other.

Key Term

Latitude– The

series of

imaginary lines

that circle Earth

parallel to the

Equator; used to

measure

distance north or

south of the

Equator.

Latitude and LongitudeVideo- Latitude and Longitude

Key Term

Scale– A scale

tells the user the

size of a map in

relation to the

size of the real

world by giving

the ratio

between

distances on the

map and actual

distances on the

Earth.

Reading Handout- Maps and MathReading Handout- Maps and Math

Geographic Technology

If you compare

modern maps with those

drawn hundreds of years ago,

you will see far more detail

and accuracy nowadays.

This is because geographers

have made huge

improvements in the tools

they use to gather and

analyze information.

Geographic Technology

Many people now use electronic

devices that use the Global

Positioning System (GPS) to

navigate over land or water.

A GPS receiver takes in radio

signals from space satellites

and uses these signals to

calculate the location of the

GPS user.

Geographic Technology

GPS receivers can

identify where someone

is according to latitude,

longitude, and altitude

(the height above sea

level).

These devices can even

tell the time of day and

give directions aloud.

Key Term

Altitude–

The height

above sea

level.

Geographic Technology

New communications

technology has also

changed the way

people get from place

to place by making

maps more accessible

than ever before.

GPS-Global Positioning SystemVideo- GPS-Global Positioning System

Independent Activity

What has been the

“muddiest” point so

far in this lesson? That

is, what topic remains

the least clear to you?

(4 minutes)

Partner Activity

Work with a neighbor and compare your muddiest point with theirs. Compare what things are the same and what things are different? (3 minutes)