WF
UNIT ONE: THINKING GEOGRAPHICALLY
1. Introduction to Maps
Learning Target: Identify types of maps, the types of information presented in maps,
and different kinds of spatial patterns and relationships portrayed in maps.
● Reference maps are designed for people to refer to for general information about
places. The two main reference maps are political and physical
● Thematic Maps are used as a communications tool – tell us how human activities are
distributed
Cartogram
Choropleth Dot Density Isoline Proportional
Symbol
Spatial Patterns Represented on a Map
absolute and relative Clustering: Dispersal: appears to Elevation: using
distance and Grouped/bunched be levels of how
direction together distributed over a wide high/low something
area is located on the
land
Map Projections (distortion in shape, size, distance, and direction)
Goode
Mercator Map Robinson Map Gall Peters
Continent sizes are
Shape and directions Everything is distorted in accurately Shape of countries
of small amounts portrayed especially near the
countries are fairly Directions and equator are
accurate Greatly distant aren’t distorted
distorted toward accurate
poles
2. Geographic Data
Learning Target: Identify different methods of geographic data collection.
Geospatial Data: all information including physical features and human activities
,Geographic information system (GIS) is a computer system for capturing, storing,
checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earth's surface
GPS stands for Geographic Positioning System: This system uses data from satellites to
pin-point a location on earth and help people find their way to a destination.
Remote sensing: refers to the process of taking pictures of the Earth's surface from
satellites (or, earlier, airplanes) to provide a greater understanding of the Earth's
geography over large distances.
● Spatial information can come from written accounts in the form of field
observations, media reports, travel narratives, policy documents, personal
interviews, landscape analysis, and photographic interpretation.
3. The Power of Geographic Data
Learning Target: Explain the geographical effects of decisions made using geographical
information.
Geospatial Data: all information including physical features and human activities
Census data: an official count of individuals in a population (in the USA, it happens every 10
years)
4. Spatial Concepts
Learning Target: Define major geographic concepts that illustrate spatial relationships.
Absolute location: The precise spot where something is located
Relative Location: where something is in relation to other things
Space: extent of a area and can be in a relative and absolute sense
Place: refers to the specific human and physical characteristics of a location.
Distance Decay: a geographical term which describes the effect of distance on cultural or
spatial interactions
Time-Space Compression: is the increasing sense of connectivity that seems to be
bringing people closer together even though their distances are the same
Pattern: The geometric or regular arrangement of something in an area
5. Human-Environmental Interaction
Learning Target: Explain how major geographic concepts illustrate spatial relationships.
Sustainability: the goal of the human race reaching equilibrium with the environment;
meeting the needs of the present without while also leaving resources for future
generations
Natural Resources: a physical material constituting part of rth that people need and value
Environmental Determinism: How the physical environment caused (determined) social
development
Possibilism: the physical environment may limit some human actions, but people have the
ability to adjust to their environment
6. Scales of
Analysis
Learning Target: Define scales of analysis used
,by geographers explain what scales of analysis
reveal
Scale: the relationship between the distance on the ground and the corresponding distance on a
specific map - also a concept describing how "zoomed in" you are while studying a geographic
trait
(Global (Globalization), Regional, National, State, and Local)
Scale of Analysis: how zoomed in or out you are when looking at geographic data
7. Regional Analysis
Learning Target: Describe different ways that geographers define regions.
Region: a place larger than a point and smaller than a planet that is grouped
together because of a measurable or perceived common feature
Formal Region: a region that is based quantitative data data (that can be documented or
measured) - all government areas are this because they share a government (Example:
Wisconsin)
Functional Region: a region based around a node or focal point - terrestrial radio
broadcasts are an example of this (example: Radio station broadcast area, DC metro)
Vernacular (Perceptual) Region: an area that shares a common qualitative
characteristic, it's only a region because people believe it's a region (example:
midwest)
UNIT TWO: POPULATION & MIGRATION
1. Population Distribution
Learning Target: Identify the factors that influence the distribution of human
populations at different scales.
Ecumene is a term used by geographers to mean where people are settled on
the earth. (along rivers, fertile land, coast, etc)
● Physical Factors: People avoid areas too dry, too wet, too cold, too high
● Cultural Factors: Populations will be concentrated in areas that have access
to Education, health care, and entertainment opportunities
● Historical FACTORS: certain areas where life could be sustain and lived (Areas where
human flourished and survived)
Learning Target: Define methods geographers use to calculate population density.
Arithmetic Density - total number of objects in an area
Physiological Density: Number of people supported by a unit
area of arable land (Land suited for agriculture)
Agricultural Density: Ratio of the number of farmers to amount
of arable land
Learning Target: Explain the differences between and the impact of
methods used to calculate population density.
1. Agricultural density reflects how developed a country is,
2. Physiological density (as a measure of how many people must be fed by a particular
, amount of land) reveals whether the country is considered overpopulated
3. Arithmetic density is a calculation and not terribly meaningful on its own.
2. Consequences of Population Distribution
Learning Target: Explain how population distribution and density
affect society and the environment. Areas with larger populations
and greater population density have greater political, economic,
and social power ● Political – greater control over laws and
larger influence
● Economic – concentration of jobs, areas make more revenue
● Social – greater access to health care, better educational opportunities,
greater cultural diversity
As population grows and communities expand we start to alter the environment and
landscape (remember landscape is what you see when you look around)
Carrying Capacity: the maximum population size of the species that the environment can
sustain
Overpopulation: when there are not enough resources in an area to support a population
3. Population Composition
Learning Target: Describe elements of population composition used by geographers.
Age/sex ratio: comparison of the numbers of males and females of different ages
Population structure is unique to each area due to their own unique history and current
condition
Learning Target: Explain ways that geographers depict
and analyze
population composition.
Population Pyramid: a graph of the population of an area
by age and sex -
when a population is growing it takes a pyramid shape
4. Population Dynamics
Learning Target Explain factors that account for
contemporary and
historical trends in population growth and decline.
Demography - the study of population
Crude Birth Rate (CBR) - the number of live births per
one thousand people in the population
Crude Death Rate (CDR) - the number of deaths per one thousand people in the population
Doubling time - the time period it takes for a population to double in size
Formula: (70/rate of change)
Fertility - the number of live births occuring in a population
Infant mortality rate (IMR) - the number of children who don't survive their
first year of life per 1000 live births in a country
Mortality - the number of deaths occuring in a population
Infant Mortality Rate – number of babies that die during the first year per 1,000 live births
Rate of Natural Increase (RNI) (also known as NIR)- (birth rate - death rate)/10
- a positive NIR means a population is growing and a negative NIR means a
UNIT ONE: THINKING GEOGRAPHICALLY
1. Introduction to Maps
Learning Target: Identify types of maps, the types of information presented in maps,
and different kinds of spatial patterns and relationships portrayed in maps.
● Reference maps are designed for people to refer to for general information about
places. The two main reference maps are political and physical
● Thematic Maps are used as a communications tool – tell us how human activities are
distributed
Cartogram
Choropleth Dot Density Isoline Proportional
Symbol
Spatial Patterns Represented on a Map
absolute and relative Clustering: Dispersal: appears to Elevation: using
distance and Grouped/bunched be levels of how
direction together distributed over a wide high/low something
area is located on the
land
Map Projections (distortion in shape, size, distance, and direction)
Goode
Mercator Map Robinson Map Gall Peters
Continent sizes are
Shape and directions Everything is distorted in accurately Shape of countries
of small amounts portrayed especially near the
countries are fairly Directions and equator are
accurate Greatly distant aren’t distorted
distorted toward accurate
poles
2. Geographic Data
Learning Target: Identify different methods of geographic data collection.
Geospatial Data: all information including physical features and human activities
,Geographic information system (GIS) is a computer system for capturing, storing,
checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earth's surface
GPS stands for Geographic Positioning System: This system uses data from satellites to
pin-point a location on earth and help people find their way to a destination.
Remote sensing: refers to the process of taking pictures of the Earth's surface from
satellites (or, earlier, airplanes) to provide a greater understanding of the Earth's
geography over large distances.
● Spatial information can come from written accounts in the form of field
observations, media reports, travel narratives, policy documents, personal
interviews, landscape analysis, and photographic interpretation.
3. The Power of Geographic Data
Learning Target: Explain the geographical effects of decisions made using geographical
information.
Geospatial Data: all information including physical features and human activities
Census data: an official count of individuals in a population (in the USA, it happens every 10
years)
4. Spatial Concepts
Learning Target: Define major geographic concepts that illustrate spatial relationships.
Absolute location: The precise spot where something is located
Relative Location: where something is in relation to other things
Space: extent of a area and can be in a relative and absolute sense
Place: refers to the specific human and physical characteristics of a location.
Distance Decay: a geographical term which describes the effect of distance on cultural or
spatial interactions
Time-Space Compression: is the increasing sense of connectivity that seems to be
bringing people closer together even though their distances are the same
Pattern: The geometric or regular arrangement of something in an area
5. Human-Environmental Interaction
Learning Target: Explain how major geographic concepts illustrate spatial relationships.
Sustainability: the goal of the human race reaching equilibrium with the environment;
meeting the needs of the present without while also leaving resources for future
generations
Natural Resources: a physical material constituting part of rth that people need and value
Environmental Determinism: How the physical environment caused (determined) social
development
Possibilism: the physical environment may limit some human actions, but people have the
ability to adjust to their environment
6. Scales of
Analysis
Learning Target: Define scales of analysis used
,by geographers explain what scales of analysis
reveal
Scale: the relationship between the distance on the ground and the corresponding distance on a
specific map - also a concept describing how "zoomed in" you are while studying a geographic
trait
(Global (Globalization), Regional, National, State, and Local)
Scale of Analysis: how zoomed in or out you are when looking at geographic data
7. Regional Analysis
Learning Target: Describe different ways that geographers define regions.
Region: a place larger than a point and smaller than a planet that is grouped
together because of a measurable or perceived common feature
Formal Region: a region that is based quantitative data data (that can be documented or
measured) - all government areas are this because they share a government (Example:
Wisconsin)
Functional Region: a region based around a node or focal point - terrestrial radio
broadcasts are an example of this (example: Radio station broadcast area, DC metro)
Vernacular (Perceptual) Region: an area that shares a common qualitative
characteristic, it's only a region because people believe it's a region (example:
midwest)
UNIT TWO: POPULATION & MIGRATION
1. Population Distribution
Learning Target: Identify the factors that influence the distribution of human
populations at different scales.
Ecumene is a term used by geographers to mean where people are settled on
the earth. (along rivers, fertile land, coast, etc)
● Physical Factors: People avoid areas too dry, too wet, too cold, too high
● Cultural Factors: Populations will be concentrated in areas that have access
to Education, health care, and entertainment opportunities
● Historical FACTORS: certain areas where life could be sustain and lived (Areas where
human flourished and survived)
Learning Target: Define methods geographers use to calculate population density.
Arithmetic Density - total number of objects in an area
Physiological Density: Number of people supported by a unit
area of arable land (Land suited for agriculture)
Agricultural Density: Ratio of the number of farmers to amount
of arable land
Learning Target: Explain the differences between and the impact of
methods used to calculate population density.
1. Agricultural density reflects how developed a country is,
2. Physiological density (as a measure of how many people must be fed by a particular
, amount of land) reveals whether the country is considered overpopulated
3. Arithmetic density is a calculation and not terribly meaningful on its own.
2. Consequences of Population Distribution
Learning Target: Explain how population distribution and density
affect society and the environment. Areas with larger populations
and greater population density have greater political, economic,
and social power ● Political – greater control over laws and
larger influence
● Economic – concentration of jobs, areas make more revenue
● Social – greater access to health care, better educational opportunities,
greater cultural diversity
As population grows and communities expand we start to alter the environment and
landscape (remember landscape is what you see when you look around)
Carrying Capacity: the maximum population size of the species that the environment can
sustain
Overpopulation: when there are not enough resources in an area to support a population
3. Population Composition
Learning Target: Describe elements of population composition used by geographers.
Age/sex ratio: comparison of the numbers of males and females of different ages
Population structure is unique to each area due to their own unique history and current
condition
Learning Target: Explain ways that geographers depict
and analyze
population composition.
Population Pyramid: a graph of the population of an area
by age and sex -
when a population is growing it takes a pyramid shape
4. Population Dynamics
Learning Target Explain factors that account for
contemporary and
historical trends in population growth and decline.
Demography - the study of population
Crude Birth Rate (CBR) - the number of live births per
one thousand people in the population
Crude Death Rate (CDR) - the number of deaths per one thousand people in the population
Doubling time - the time period it takes for a population to double in size
Formula: (70/rate of change)
Fertility - the number of live births occuring in a population
Infant mortality rate (IMR) - the number of children who don't survive their
first year of life per 1000 live births in a country
Mortality - the number of deaths occuring in a population
Infant Mortality Rate – number of babies that die during the first year per 1,000 live births
Rate of Natural Increase (RNI) (also known as NIR)- (birth rate - death rate)/10
- a positive NIR means a population is growing and a negative NIR means a
