Thinking Geographically: Key Issue 1

How Do Geographers Describe Where Things Are?

Rubenstein Ch. 1 pp. 1-12
1. Read the introduction on pages 2 and 3, Give a personal example of globalization
and local diversity in your life.
An example of globalization is global news networks like CNN that helps
spread knowledge. An example of local diversity is the many different
clubs in school that help people to express their culture.
2. Read the case study on page 4. Identify key three points from the section.
- Geographers are interested in the location of McDonalds around the
world
- Human Geographers are interested in understanding the economic and
cultural conditions that
encouraged companies to spread around the world
- Human geographers recognize that there is local diversity in economic
and cultural conditions
3. Define map:
A map is a two-dimensional or flat scale model of the Earths surface or a
portion of it
4. Define scale:
A scale is the relationship between the portion of the earth being studied
and the Earth as a whole
5. Define cartography:
Cartography is the science of mapmaking

MAPS
6. Give two purposes of maps.
(a) Reference tool
We consult maps to learn where in the world something is found.
(b) Communications tool
A map is best for depicting the distribution of human activities or physical
features
7. Who first demonstrated that the earth was round? How?
Aristotle was the first to demonstrate that the earth was round. He
observed how matter falls together towards a common center, the Earths
shadow on the moon is circular during an eclipse, and the stars change as
one travels from north to south.
8a. Who was the first to use the term geography.
Eratosthenes was the first to use the term geography.
8b. List three of his contributions in geography at that time.
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(a)Calculated the Earths circumference within a 0.5 percent

accuracy `
(b)Prepared one of the earliest maps of the known world
(c) Divided the earth into 5 climatic regions
9. Provide an example of developments in geography for each of the following:
The oldest Chinese geographical writing describes the
Chinese economic resources of the countrys provinces.

Muslims

Age of
Discovery

(16th Century)

A geographer by the name of al-Idrisi prepared a world

map and geography text building on Ptolemys work.
Ptolemys work was rediscovered and updated by
cartographers such as Gerardus Mercator and Abraham
Ortelius based on the information from explores to create
more accurate maps.

10. What is the advantage of a map which shows only a small portion of the earths
surface like a neighborhood - that is, a large-scale map? Use figure 1-4 in
addition to the text to answer this.
The advantage of showing a smaller portion of the earths surface is that
the map will provide many details about that particular place. However, if
this was a larger portion of the earth many details would be omitted from
the map.
10b. What advantage does a map which shows the entire globe, a small-scale
map, have?
An advantage would be that the map is able to communicate processes
and trends that effect everyone.
11. When geographers convert the round earth to a flat map, they use a
projection. All projections have some distortion (only a globe has none). List the
four things that typically become distorted in various projections.
a. shape

c. relative size

b. distance

d. direction

12. Two important projections are the Mercator and the Robinson. Complete the
table below to compare their advantages and disadvantages.
gesAdvanta

ROBINSON
1. Displays information from
across the oceans

MERCATOR
1. Shape is distorted very
little.
2. Direction is consistent.
3. Map is rectangular.
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sDisadvantage

1. Land areas are much

smaller by allocating space to
the oceans.

1. Area is grossly distorted

towards the poles making
high latitude places look
larger.

13. With regard to the Land Ordinance of 1785, which became the official survey
system for the United States, define the following:
a) township
A township is square 6 miles on each side.
b) sections
A township is divided into sections each of which are 1
mile by 1 mile.

CONTEMPORARY TOOLS
14. Complete the following regarding a Global Positioning
System.

G P S
Elements/components
1. Satellites placed in
predetermined orbits by the U.S.
military.
2. Tracking stations to monitor and
control satellites
3. A receiver that can locate 4
satellites, figure out distance to
each, and pinpoint location.

Uses/implementation
1. Navigation
2. Find precise location of a vehicle
3. Coding precise location of objects
in fieldwork
4. Enable private individuals to
contribute to the production of
accurate digital maps.

15a. Define remote sensing:

Remote sensing is the acquisition of data about the Earths surface from a
satellite orbiting the Earth.

15b. Remotely sensed images consist of pixels. What is the smallest area on the
surface of the earth that can be scanned as a single pixel?
The smallest area on the surface of the earth that can be scanned is one
meter.
15c. Several things that geographers can map using remotely sensed data.
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Geographic applications of remote sensing are primarily environmental, such as mapping

vegetation and other surface cover, gathering data for large unpopulated areas such as the
extent of winter ice cover on the oceans, and monitoring changes such as weather patterns
and deforestation. Human geographers are interested in remote sensing to map the
distribution of urban sprawl and agricultural practices. (Rubenstein, 9 th ed)

16. Geographers use a GIS (Geographic Information System) to store layers of

data. Give three examples of types of data stored in a single layer.
Three examples of types of data stored are the location of people with
various incomes and ethnicities, types of factories, and the location of
mountains and valleys.

Thinking Geographically: Key Issue 2

Why Is Each Point On Earth Unique?

Rubenstein, pp. 13-28

PLACE: UNIQUE LOCATION OF A FEATURE

A _____place______ is a point, whereas a ______region______ is an area.
1. Define toponym:
The name given to a place on Earth.
2. Identify four ways in which places can receive names
a) A place may be named for a person
b) Places may be named for an obscure person
c) Places names may be associated with religion
d) Some names derive from features of the physical environment
3. Identify three reasons for which places sometimes change names
a) Name changes occur in order to promote publicity for an
economically struggling town
b) Places change their names if the place has any racial or ethnic
connotations
c) Names can change due to political upheaval
4. Define site:
Site is the physical character of a place.
5. List some site characteristics.
- Climate
- Water Sources - Topography
- Vegetation
- Latitude
- Elevation

6. Complete the following sentence about site:

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- Soil

Humans have the ability to ___modify____ the characteristics of a site.

7. Define situation:
Situation is the location of a place relative to other places.
8. What role do familiar places have understanding situation of unfamiliar places?
Familiar places help us find an unfamiliar place by comparing its location
to the unfamiliar one.

9. What place is designated as 0 degrees longitude?

Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England.
10. What is the name for the line drawn at 0 degrees longitude? Prime Meridian
11a. How is a degree of longitude or latitude further subdivided?
It can be further subdivided by dividing each degree into 60 minutes and
each minute into 60 seconds.
11b. Give an example.
An example is 65 32' 15".
12. How many degrees of longitude do you need to travel across to pass through
one hour of time (or one time zone)? Each one hour difference was equal to
15 degrees longitude.
13. (Page 18) How many time zones are there?
There are 24 times zones.
14. (Page 18) Where and why were standard time zones first adopted?
Times zones were adopted to reduce the confusion from the multiplicity of
local times.
15. (Page 18) What is the longitude of the International Date Line?
180 degrees longitude
16. Use the map on page 18 to annotate the map
below.
Draw the Prime Meridian and International Date Line.
Shade and label all countries (or regions) which use non-standard time
zones.
Label the country which has forced the 3000 mile deviation of the Prime
Meridian.

 REGIONS: AREAS OF UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS (Page 17)

17. A region is An _area___ of ____Earth___ defined by one or more __distinctive
characteristics_ ___is a region______ according to the textbook.
18. Carl Sauer defined cultural landscape as an area fashioned from nature by a
cultural group. Draw a picture (labeling as necessary) to explain the following quote
from him. Culture is the agent, the natural area the medium, the cultural
landscape the result.

19. Geographers using the regional studies approach argue that that distinctive
landscapes of different regions result from what two things?
a. Social relationships
b. Physical processes
20. One contemporary (current) approach to studying the cultural landscape is
called the regional studies approach. What do geographers who adopt this view
believe regarding regions?
A region gains uniqueness from possessing not a single human or
environmental characteristic, but a combination of them.
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21. Which of the following statements is false?

a. Cultural landscape is the landscape created by humans.
b. Cultural landscape is the landscape created by nature.
22. The fundamental principle underlying the cultural landscape is that _people_
are the most important agents of change to the Earths surface.
23. Complete the chart below which details types of regions identified by
geographers.

Examplen0cDefinitio
calledalso

FORMAL REGION

FUNCTIONAL REGION

VERNACULAR REGION

- uniform region
- homogenous region

- nodal region

- perceptual region

- an area within
which everyone
shares in common
one or more
distinctive
characteristics
- Montana : has
clearly drawn
boundaries and
everyone living
there is a subject of
a set of laws

- an area organized
around a node or
focal point

- a place that people

believe exists as part
of their cultural
identity

- a reception area of
a television station
- circulation area of a
newspaper
- trading area of a
department store

- Americans refer to
the South as a place
with environmental,
cultural, and
economic feautures

24. How does a geographer conclude that two (or more) phenomena are spatially
associated, that is, that they bear some sort of cause and effect relationship?
Geographers conclude that factors with similar distributions have spatial
association.
25. Prepare a bullet chart about the word CULTURE
- collection of novels, paintings, symphonies etc.
- also refers to small living organisms
- origin of the word in Latin is cultus which means to care for
- geographers study what people care about and what they take care of
26. List three key points of the Global Forces, Local Impacts section.
- Physical geography explains why certain weather conditions form in
certain areas
- Physical geography and human geography intersects during these
situations
- Human geographers are mainly concerned about the uneven impact of
natural disasters on rich and poor areas
27. Very carefully define the following terms and give and example of each
(Examples are on your own use the internet if you cannot come up with an
example on your own
Definition
a. Cultural Ecology
The geographic study human-environment
relationships

Example
In order to discover
general laws human
geographers were urged
to adopt the methods of
scientific inquiry used by
natural scientists

b. Environmental Determinism
The study of how the physical environment
caused social development

- Geography
- Climate

c. Possibilism
The physical environment may limit some
human actions, but people have the ability to
adjust to their environment

Climate influences human

activities such as food,
therefore people learn
about different crops
that grow best in that
climate

28. How many major types of climates do geographers identify?

They identify 5 major climates

29. In what major way does climate influence human activities? (Give an example.)
Climate influences human activities such as growing food. For example,
only certain types of crops grow in certain climates. People are able to
determine these crops through trial and error and provide themselves
with food to live off of.
30. List the four major biomes, or major plant communities, found naturally on
earth.
a) Forest

c) Savanna

b) Grassland

d) Dessert

31. What are the two major problems with which geographers are concerned, as far
as soil is concerned?
a) Erosion
b) Depletion of nutrients
32. Complete two case studies which describe human modifications of and
adaptation to the local environment. To do so, annotate the blank maps and bullet
in brief notes to the right of each. There are questions on the test regarding these
two case studies.

A) THE NETHERLANDS

B) FLORIDA
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Thinking Geographically: Key Issue 3

Why Are Different Places Similar?

Rubenstein, pp. 28-39

SCALE: FROM LOCAL TO GLOBAL

1. Define globalization:
A force or process that involves the entire world and results in making
something worldwide in scope.
2. How has modern technology played a role in globalization?
Modern technology has increased the effects of globalization
3. In what ways is globalization of culture manifest in the landscape?
Globalization of culture manifests in the landscape by there being uniform
cultural preferences therefore producing uniform global landscapes.
4. In what ways has the communications revolution played a role in
globalization?
The communications revolutions have promoted globalization through
television where it displays one set of cultural values.
5. Make three bulleted statements about reactions against globalism and
globalization.
(a) Al-Quada attacked twin towers
(b) Taliban leaders banned television
(c) Taliban leaders restricting womens activities

SPACE: DISTRIBUTION OF FEATURES

6. The ____arrangement______ of a feature in ____space______ is known as its
distribution.
7. Define density:
Density is the frequency in which something occurs in space.

8. The way in which a feature is spread over space is known as concentration.

What are the opposite ends of the spectrum of concentration?
a. Clustered
b. Dispersed

c. The boxes below draw 10 dots in each so that the density is the same in
each, but illustrate and label the two different kinds of concentration.

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9. List the three different types of pattern given in the text.

a. Geometric pattern
b. Square or grid pattern
c. Sinister pattern
10. In what way do each of the following play a role in geography?
ETHNICITY
People like to be near people
who have a similar background.
They have a fear of spatial
interaction.

SEXUAL ORIENTATION
Some people like to live near
locations that reinforce spatial
interaction. Specific cities and
towns can be known as having a
large gay population.

CONNECTIONS BETWEEN PLACES

11. What is space-time compression?
The reduction in the time it takes for something to reach another place.

12a. In the past, most interaction between places required what?

Most interactions required physical movement of settlers, explorers from
one location to another.
12b. How has this changed?
Today you can use a car or airplane.
13. Give some examples of things that prevent interaction among groups.
Some things that can prevent interaction can be barriers such as oceans
and deserts.

14. Describe the phenomenon known as distance-decay.

Diminishing in importance and eventual disappearance of a phenomenon
with increasing distance from its origin.

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15. After reading the Spatial Interaction section, define spatial interaction in your
own words.
Spatial interaction is the ability to communicate with people all over the
world through means of transportation or other communication systems.

16. Write 1 sentence explaining how figure 1-30 relates to spatial interaction.
This is spatial interaction because people are traveling all over the world
and learning about that places culture, traditions, and environment.

17. Diffusion is defined as the process by which a characteristic spreads across

space. With regard to diffusion, define and, where possible, give an example of
each of the following.

DIFFUSION

hearth

relocation
diffusion

Expansion Diffusion

hierarchica
l diffusion

contagious
diffusion

stimulus
diffusion

Region from which innovation ideas originate.

Ex. U.S. and Canada developed from Europe and the
Middle Eastern hearth

Spread of a feature or trend through bodily movement of

people from one place to another.
Ex. The growth of Islam in the Middle East

Spread of a feature or trend from one key person or node

of authority or power to other persons or places.
Ex. The spread of hip hop from bug city to smaller
cities
Rapid, widespread diffusion of a feature trend throughout
a population.
Ex. The growth of AIDS prevention in the U.S.

Spread of an underlying principle even though a specific

characteristic is rejected
Ex. New technologies

18a. The economy and global culture are centered in three core or hearth regions.
List them:

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a) North America

b) Western Europe

c) Japan

18b. Why?
These regions have the worlds advanced technology, capital to invest in
new activities, and wealth to purchase goods and services.
19. The three major world cities are: ___New York___, __London___, and
__Tokyo___
20. When key decision makers in these command centers send out orders to
factories, shops, and research centers, it is an example of ___hierarchical_____
diffusion.
21. The increasing gap in economic conditions between regions in the __core__ and
_periphery_____ that results from the __globalization___ of the economy is known
as _uneven development_________.
22. List three key points to Case Study Revisited on page 40.

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