investigating the world the nature of geography year 8 global geography : 4g1 term 1
TRANSCRIPT
INVESTIGATINGTHE WORLD
The Nature of Geography
Year 8 Global Geography : 4G1 Term 1
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THE NATURE OF GEOGRAPHY
• Geography is concerned with where people and places are located and the patterns of features on the Earth’s surface.
By studying Geography we can become active and informed citizens and do something to help protect our future
Ecological dimension
how humans interact with environments
Spatial dimension
the physical aspects of
where things are and why they are there
Geography involves two key dimensions:
LINGO LIST
KEY DEFINITIONS
Key Word Definition
Cartographer
Citizen
Condensation
Contour
Ecosystem
KEY DEFINITIONS
Key Word Definition
Cartographer A specialised geographer who draws maps
Citizen a person who is part of a society with the right toprotection from it and the responsibility of loyalty to it
Condensation the process by which water vapour turns to liquid
Contour a line on a map joining places of equal height
Ecosystem a community of organisms interacting with oneanother and with the environment in which they live
KEY DEFINITIONS CONT.
Key Word Definition
environment
evaporation
human features
Isobar
nutrient
KEY DEFINITIONS CONT.
Key Word Definition
environment The total surroundings
evaporation the process by which water turns from liquid tovapour
human features areas of the Earth's surface that have been built or changed by humans
Isobar a line on a synoptic chart joining places of equal air pressure
nutrient A source of nourishment
KEY DEFINITIONS CONT.
Key Word Definition
physical features
precipitation
relative humidity
settlement
temperature
KEY DEFINITIONS CONT.
Key Word Definition
physical features areas of the Earth’s surface that are naturally occurring or have been largely unaltered by humans
precipitation any form of water falling to the Earth’s surfaceincluding rain, hail and snow
relative humidity the amount of moisture in the air compared to the amount it could hold
settlement A place where people live
temperature a measure of the amount of heat energy
ENVIRONMENT CLASSIFICATIONS
WE CLASSIFY OUR ENVIRONMENT INTO 2 FEATURES:
• Human features are those that are man made • Examples of human
features include houses, schools, roads, railways, shopping centres and buildings.
Physical features are those that occur naturally
Examples include the weather, air, plants (flora), animals (fauna), rocks and soil, as well as the water in rivers, lakes and seas, and the sun (heat and light)
Physical Human
Geographers examine environments and are interested in the relationships between physical and human features.
ACTIVITY 1
• Is a natural feature or man made?
• Is it eroding? Is it getting polluted?
• What country / city is it in?
• Is it a statue or an island or?
What is it? Where is it?
Why is it there?
How is it changing?
Research famous human and physical features such as Angel Falls, Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, The Great Wall of China.
PHYSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
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ECOSYSTEMS
living • Living things, such as
plants and animals are called biotic
non living.• Non-living things, such
as water, rocks and soil are called abiotic
The way in which physical elements interact in a particular environment.
QUICK REVIEW
• Is the following biotic or abiotic?1. A tree2. A river3. An insect 4. Grass 5. Snow 6. A rock7. A dog8. Soil
THE 3 MAIN PROCESSES THAT CONNECT ALL PARTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM ARE:
THE ENERGY FLOWWATER CYCLE AND
NUTRIENT CYCLE
PHYSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
1. THE ENERGY FLOW
• Plants capture about 1% of the solar energy that reaches the Earth from the Sun.
• Through the process of photosynthesis plants convert this energy into carbohydrates that are a food source for their growth and the animals that eat them
• In an ecosystem:• the source of energy is the Sun• energy is stored in the plants
and animals, the biotic part• energy is used for growth and
generates heat
2. THE WATER CYCLE
• Water is essential for life and flows through all ecosystems.
• When heated by the Sun, water evaporates, turning into water vapour.
• If water vapour rises it cools and condenses forming clouds.
• Precipitation falls from the clouds and the water either soaks into the ground or flows over the surface back in to rivers
• In the water cycle (also known as the hydrological cycle):• clouds are made of water droplets• rain, sleet, snow and hail are all types of
precipitation• transpiration is water loss from plants
3. THE NUTRIENT CYCLE
• Plants gain the water and nutrients they need for growth from the soil.
• The nutrients then pass along a food chain as plants are eaten by animals and they, in turn, are eaten by other animals.
• Eventually the plants and animals die, and the nutrients are returned to the soil by the decomposers.
• In the nutrient cycle:• the plants are the producers• animals that eat plants are called
herbivores• animals that eat animals are called
carnivores
HUMAN ELEMENTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
OVERVIEW
• There are very few environments left in the world that are completely natural.
• In most places humans have had some influence on the landscape.
• Land has been cleared for agriculture, rivers have been dammed to provide water. Industries have been developed to process raw materials and people have created settlements in which to live.
AGRICULTURE
• Agriculture involves human activities that shape the landscape. • In some parts of the world the natural
environment has been significantly changed by farming practices. • Patterns created by agriculture vary from
patchworks of tiny fields typical of subsistence farming in Asia to the featureless expanses created by modern commercial grain farming in North America.
SETTLEMENTS
• Settlements are where people live• They range in size from isolated farmhouses with
one or two people to huge world cities, such as Tokyo with a population over 35 million.• The buildings that people construct within
settlements often reflect their culture as well as the physical environment.
INDUSTRY
• The production of goods• Factors affecting location of industry include:
• Capital (money available)• Labour (people to work)• Market (need for the product)
HUMAN ELEMENTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Industry• Modern high-tech industries are more concerned
with access to their markets and reducing labour costs• Modern business parks exist today and factories
have moved from richer to poorer countries to reduce their costs
PHYSICAL OR HUMAN?