Geography Places Oceans Continents Geographic Words Definitions summary and study guide

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Geography Places Oceans Continents Geographic Words Definitions summary and study guide

Places on the Globe

Objectives- SWILLBAT find, identify and label major points on the globe and map
6G.2 Apply the tools of a geographer to understand the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions.
6G.2.1 Use maps, charts, graphs, geographic data and available technology tools to draw conclusions about the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions
6G.2.2 Use/Construct maps, charts and graphs to explain data about geographic phenomena (e.g., migration patterns and population, resource distribution patterns.

A globe is a round model of the earth. It shows every part of the earth. Maps are flat pieces of paper that also show features of the earth. In many ways maps are easier than globes. It is hard to carry a globe around with you. Maps are easy to fold up and carry with you. However, globes show you what the earth actually looks like. They are more accurate than maps. Maps are flat, but the earth is not. Both maps and globes have their good points and bad points.
In order to help find things easier on the earth or a globe there are imaginary points and lines. Imaginary means not real. The North Pole is an imaginary point on the top of the earth and the South Pole is an imaginary point to on the bottom of the earth. The prime meridian is an imaginary line that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole. It runs from north to south. The Prime Meridian runs directly through the town of Greenwich England because the man whom gave the Prime Meridian its name was from Greenwich.
Using imaginary points and lines we can divide the earth into hemispheres. Hemisphere means half of the earth. The Prime Meridian divides the earth in half from east to west. East of the Prime Meridian is the Eastern Hemisphere. The eastern hemisphere is the eastern half of the world. West of the Prime Meridian is the Western Hemisphere. The western hemisphere is the western half of the earth. We can also divide the earth in half from north to south using the equator. The Equator is an imaginary line that divides the earth in half from north to south. The northern hemisphere is north of the Equator and the southern hemisphere is south of the Equator. Two other important imaginary lines are the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. The Tropic of Cancer runs parallel to the Equator to the north and the Tropic of Capricorn runs parallel to the Equator to the south. The areas between these two lines are considered the tropics. The tropics are places where it is always warm. It never gets cold.

Questions:

What is the difference between a map and a globe?
Why do we draw imaginary points and lines on the earth?
Where is the North Pole?
Where is the South Pole?
Which imaginary line divides the earth into the eastern hemisphere and the western hemisphere?
Which imaginary line divides the earth into the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere?
What town does the prime meridian run directly through?
What is between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn?

Activities:

Draw pictures. Make models. Trace important points and lines.
Create game questions using points on the globe. Ex- Which two hemisphere does Mexico …

Oceans and Continents

Objective- SWILLBAT find and ID oceans and continents of the world.
6G.2 Apply the tools of a geographer to understand the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions.
6G.2.1 Use maps, charts, graphs, geographic data and available technology tools to draw conclusions about the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions
6G.2.2 Use/Construct maps, charts and graphs to explain data about geographic phenomena (e.g., migration patterns and population, resource distribution patterns.

Our earth is made of land and water. There is more water than land. About 75% of the earth’s surface is water. Most of the water is in the oceans of the world. Oceans are the largest bodies of salt water on earth. There are four oceans. The largest ocean is the Pacific Ocean. The second largest is the Atlantic Ocean. Next is the Indian Ocean. The smallest is the Arctic Ocean.
The rest of the earth is composed of land. Continents are the largest pieces of land. There are seven continents. Here are the seven continents listed from largest to smallest: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe and Australia. Continents are not the same as countries. Countries are groups of people that have governments. Most continents have many countries on them. Australia is the only continent that is also a country. Antarctica is the only continent that has no countries. Look where it is. It is too far south. It is too cold. Antarctica is the only place in the world that is shared by all countries in the world.
Questions:

How much of the earth is water? How much is land?
What are the four oceans from largest to smallest?
What are the seven continents from smallest to largest?
Which is both a continent and a country?
Which continent has no countries on it?

Africa N. America Australia Europe Asia S. America Antarctica

Everyone answer these questions using the map.

Which continent is connected to North America?
Which continent is south of Europe?
Which ocean do you think is the coldest?
What is the second biggest ocean?
Which continents are in both the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere?
What two continents does the equator run through?
What continents are only in the northern hemisphere?
What continents are only in the southern hemisphere?
What continents does the prime meridian run through?
What two continents are in both in the eastern hemisphere and the western hemisphere?
Which continents are only in the eastern hemisphere?
Which continents are only in the western hemisphere?
Which ocean separates North and South America from Europe and Africa?
What ocean lies on the east coast of North and South America?
What ocean lies on the west coast of North and South America?
Which two oceans surround Australia?
What continent does the South Pole lie upon?
What ocean is on the east coast of Asia?
Which ocean lies on the east coast of Africa?
Which ocean lies on the west coast of Africa?
What continent is north of South America?
What continent is south of North America?
What continent is northwest of Africa?
What continent is west of Africa?
What continent is east of Africa?
What continent is east of Europe?
What continent is northeast of Africa?
What continent is east of South America?
What continent is east of North America?
Which ocean is east of Australia?
Which continent is west of Australia?
What continent is west of the Atlantic Ocean?
What continent is east of the Atlantic Ocean?
Describe the location of Charlotte from Europe (use directions).
Describe the location of your native country from Charlotte.

Activities:

Draw poster boards of oceans and continents.
Teacher gives students maps to draw and color on. Students must follow teacher’s oral directions about what color to make each continent and ocean.
Research project- Put students into groups. Assign each group a continent and ocean. Each group must research five to ten facts about the continent and ocean they have been assigned using library, computer, encyclopedia, etc. Groups present facts to class with poster boards displaying facts may be drawn as well.

Latitude and Longitude

Objective- SWILLBAT locate major lines of latitude and longitude and explain the significance of these lines.
6G.2 Apply the tools of a geographer to understand the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions.
6G.2.1 Use maps, charts, graphs, geographic data and available technology tools to draw conclusions about the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions
6G.2.2 Use/Construct maps, charts and graphs to explain data about geographic phenomena (e.g., migration patterns and population, resource distribution patterns.

Remember when we talked about the two imaginary lines called the equator and the prime meridian. The equator divides the earth in half north and south and the prime meridian divides the earth in half east and west. These, however, are not the only imaginary lines we use. We also have imaginary lines called lines of latitude and lines of longitude. Why do we need imaginary lines at all? The answer is quite simple. Using imaginary lines allows us to find places anywhere on earth.
Lines of latitude run in an east-west direction parallel to the equator. The equator is the central line of latitude. Latitude is measured in degrees north and south of the equator. Latitude measures how far north or how far south of the equator a location is. Latitude is measured from 0° to 90°. The equator is at zero degrees (0°). Lines of latitude run from 0° to 90° north of the equator and from 0° to 90° south of the equator. The equator is always the starting point. The North Pole is 90°north latitude and the South Pole is 90° south latitude. Lines of latitude are sometimes called parallels because they are parallel to the equator. No two lines of latitude will ever meet.
Lines of longitude run in a north-south direction. The starting point for longitude is the prime meridian. Longitude is measured in degrees east and west of the prime meridian. Longitude measures how far east or west of the prime meridian a location is. Longitude is measured from 0° to 180°. The prime meridian is at 0°. Lines of longitude run from 0° to 180° east of the prime meridian and from 0° to 180° west of the prime meridian. The prime meridian is always the starting point. Lines of longitude are sometimes called meridians. They run from the North Pole to the South Pole.

Questions:

Describe how the equator divides the earth
Describe how the prime meridian divides the earth.
Why do we draw imaginary lines of latitude and longitude?
In what direction do lines of latitude run?
In what direction do lines of longitude run?
What does latitude measure?
What does longitude measure?
How do we measure latitude and longitude?
What is the starting point for latitude? What degree is it?
What is the starting point for longitude? What degree is it?
What do we find at 90° north latitude?
What do we find at 90° south latitude?
What is the range of degrees for latitude?
What is the range of degrees for longitude?

What Does Geography Mean? > The 5 Themes of Geography

Objectives- SWILLBAT identify the 5 themes of geography and provide examples of how geography affects people’s lives.
6G.2 Apply the tools of a geographer to understand the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions.
6G.2.1 Use maps, charts, graphs, geographic data and available technology tools to draw conclusions about the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions
6G.2.2 Use/Construct maps, charts and graphs to explain data about geographic phenomena (e.g., migration patterns and population, resource distribution patterns.

         Geography is the study of the surface of the earth and all living things on it. In other words geography is what the land looks like with all plants animals and people. A geographer is a person who studies geography. Geography is very important because it affects the way people live. Every region affects how people live. A region is an area of land that looks very similar. For example, people who lived in a desert region two hundred years ago lived much differently than people who lived near a coastal region. Someone who lived near the sea might have eaten a lot of fish. Someone who lived in the desert might have eaten a lot of cactus fruit.
There are five themes or ideas in geography. The five themes are location, place, interaction, movement and region. Location and place are very similar. Location is where something is. For example, the desk is in the corner of the room. The desk is located in the corner. Location answers the question, “Where is it?” Place is what you find and see at a location. Place describes what a location looks like. For example, the mountains in North Carolina are very hilly with a lot of trees. Place answers the question, “What does the location look like?”

Human-environment interaction is the third theme. Interaction is how people live in their environment.   It can be divided into three parts. Number one is how a person’s environment forces them to change or adapt to their surroundings where they live. Our environment is the place where we live. Our environment will affect how we live. For example, people who live in the hot deserts of Mexico often wear light clothing such as shorts and T-shirts. But what would happen if some of these same Mexican people moved to the Rocky Mountains in Canada where it is very cold?   Would they still wear the same clothes? Of course they would not. They would have to adapt to their new environment by wearing warmer clothes. Adapt means to change.
The second part of interaction is how people change their environment. Humans change things. For example, people water their lawns when it hasn’t rained. Watering the lawn is changing the environment. Growing crops in deserts using irrigation is another example. Building warm houses to keep comfortable in a cold place is another. Using air conditioning in a home when it is hot is yet another example.
The third part of interaction is depending on the environment. A farmer depends on river water to water crops. If there is a drought and the river dries up, the farmer can lose all of his crops. Some people work in a coal mine so they depend on having coal to mine to keep their jobs. If there is no more coal in the mine, then people lose their jobs. If Bank of America left Charlotte many people would either be forced to move or lose their jobs.

Movement is the fourth theme. Movement is how people get from one place to another place. There are two kinds of movement. The first kind is called migration.    Migration is when people move to a new place to live. When people move within their own nation it, is called internal migration. For example, a person might move from Iowa to California to be near the ocean. When people move to another nation it, is called external migration. For example, many ESL students moved from their original countries to live in America. People migrate for many reasons such as finding food or finding work. Push factors are what cause people to leave their homes such as natural disasters or wars. Pull factors are what attract people to a new place such as the availability of jobs or cheaper housing.
The second type of movement is temporary. Temporary movement is when people travel to an area to trade, work or vacation and then they go back home. It is not permanent or forever.   For example, all of you move from your house every day and come to school by bus. At the end of the day you go home. Businessmen often fly to different cities and then go home. We move all sorts of ways: cars, trucks, horses planes, trains, boats, etc.

The fifth theme is region. As we said, a region is an area of land that looks very similar or has similar characteristics. A region can be political. Countries are political regions ruled by governments. Regions can be physical. In other words, regions share certain physical features and climate. Climate is weather over a long period of time. Some examples of regions are deserts, mountains, plains and forests. We will look at all types of regions more closely later. Other regions include general terms like urban (city), rural (farming), the North, The Mideast, etc.
Questions:

What is the difference between geography and a geographer?
What are the five themes of geography?
What is the difference between location and place?
Describe the location and place of your bed at home. In other words where do you live and what does your room look like?
What are the two kinds of movement?
Explain the difference between external and internal migration.
Give three examples of push factors and three examples of pull factors.
What is human-environment interaction?
Give 5 examples of how humans interact with their environments.
What is the difference between a political region and a physical region?

Activities:

Draw posters of the five themes. Define each theme and explain how it affects our lives.
Develop lists of various regions and draw pictures of each.
Tree map the 5 themes and summarize them.
Create a T-Chart outlining push and pull factors of migration.

Geographic Words and Definitions for Land and Water

Objectives- SWILLBAT to name and define pictures of a set # geographic landforms of bodies of water.
6G.2 Apply the tools of a geographer to understand the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions.
6G.2.1 Use maps, charts, graphs, geographic data and available technology tools to draw conclusions about the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions
6G.2.2 Use/Construct maps, charts and graphs to explain data about geographic phenomena (e.g., migration patterns and population, resource distribution patterns.

Continents- The seven largest pieces of land on earth.

Oceans- The four largest bodies of salt water on earth.

Sea Level- Land that is at the same height or slightly higher than the oceans and seas.

Sea- 1. Large bodies of salt water near land or partly surrounded by land. They are not as large as oceans. 2. Another word used for ocean water.

Sea and Sea Level

Coast- Land along an ocean or sea.

Beach- Shoreline of the sea or ocean that is covered with sand, rock and pebbles.

Gulfs/Bays- Part of an ocean or sea that goes into the land.

Inlet- Any place along the coast where the water reaches into the land. An inlet is much smaller than a gulf or bay.

Harbor- Any small inlet where boats can go. Parking lot for boats

Port- The town along the harbor where ships load and unload goods.

Lake- A body of water that is completely surrounded by land.

Pond- A very small lake.

Reservoir- A natural or man-made lake used to store water for people.

Dam- A man-made wall built across a river to stop the water. They are often built in order to make reservoirs.

Island- Land surrounded by water.

Archipelago- A large group or chain of islands.

Peninsula- Land surrounded by water on three sides.

River- A large flow of water that goes a long way and empties into a sea, a lake or another river.

Stream, Brook or Creek- A small narrow flow of water. They are much smaller than rivers.

Source- The place where a river or stream begins.
Mouth/Delta- The place where a river or stream ends and empties into the sea.
Tributary- Any river or stream that flows into a larger river.

Spring- A source of water coming from below the ground.

Mountain- Areas of land that rise above sea level.

Mountain Chain Mountain Range- A group of many mountains.

Peak- The top of a mountain or hill.

Foothills- Hilly areas of land before a mountain range.

Volcano- 1. A mountain with a hole at the top that erupts with lava, rock and gas. 2. Any hole in the earth where lava and gas come out.

Lava- Hot liquid rock that comes out of a volcano.

Valley- An area of low land between mountains.

Basin- A low area of land in the surface of the earth that is often filled with water.

Cliff- A high spot that drops directly down to the earth below.

Waterfall- Water from a river or stream that falls off a cliff or steep surface.

Canyon- A deep narrow valley with steep sides and cliffs.
Plains/Prairie- A large area of mostly flat land that has very few trees and mostly grass. Grasslands.

Meadow- An open field of grass and wildflowers in a forest.

Desert- A very dry area that gets very little rain and has few plants and trees.

Dune- A hill of sand formed by winds. Sand dunes often change shape with wind.

Oasis- A water hole, spring or lake in the middle of a desert.

Plateau- Flat areas of land that are higher and rise above the surrounding areas of land. Plateaus are often arranged like steps on stairs.

Mesa- A mountain with a flat top.

Butte- A hill with a flat top. A butte is a small mesa.

Swamp-Wetlands covered with trees and bushes.
Marsh- Wetlands covered with grass.
Isthmus- A narrow strip of land that connects two larger pieces of land. An isthmus is like a land bridge.

Strait- A narrow waterway that connects two larger bodies of water.

Canal- A man-made waterway that connects two larger bodies of water.

Cape- A piece of land that extends into the sea like a hook.

Reef- An area of sand, rock or coral near the surface of the sea. A reef is usually close to the coast.

Atoll- A circular coral island or reef that surrounds a lagoon.

Lagoon- 1. A shallow body of water in the middle of an atoll. 2. A shallow body of water cut off from the sea by a narrow strip of land.

Fjord- A deep narrow inlet of the sea between high cliffs or montains.

Glaciers- Very large pieces of ice that move slowly over the land.

Iceberg- Large pieces of ice that break off glaciers and float in the ocean.

Forest- A large area of land that is covered with trees and bushes.

Assignments-

Memorize a set number of terms each night and be able to write definitions of each.
Be able to write down geographic terms by identifying pictures.
Students create multiple-choice tests using a set number of geographic terms. Teacher may need to review “wh” questions or cloze questions.

Activities:

Draw pictures.
Draw poster boards with definitions of geographic terms.
In groups research 5 facts about given geographic terms.
Locate various features using local, continent and world maps.

Ex- Find three more examples of gulfs besides the Gulf of Mexico.

Big Bird Sentences

Earth is a planet.
Mars and Venus are planets.
The sun is far away.
Jupiter is very big.
The sky above the earth is blue.
Can you see the moon?
Come to the moon.
The sun is going down.
She can find the planets.
The planet map is for you.

The boy with the compass is funny.
Go north.
Help me go south.
The compass is here.
I am running west.
The compass is in my desk.
Mexico is south of the United States.
It is northeast of Charlotte.
Jump on the map.
The compass is little.

Look at the globe.
Let’s make a globe.
The map is for me.
Can I have my map?
The equator is not in Mexico.
The equator is one imaginary line.
The students play with the globe.
I ran to the North Pole.
Make a red line to show the equator on the map.
Dr. Riggs said we live in the northern hemisphere.

I see the beach.
The mountains are in western North Carolina.
Deserts, mountains and forests are three regions.
Place and location are two themes.
We went to the beach.
You climbed up the mountain.
We took a train to the city.
Where is Charlotte?
She drove a yellow taxi to the city.
You rode a horse to town.

We study all the continents.
I am in Australia.
There are seven continents.
The South Pole is at the bottom of Antarctica.
I ate a banana in South America.
The boat will be in the Atlantic Ocean.
The black ship is in the Pacific Ocean.
The brown boat in the Indian Ocean.
Europe is small but Asia is not.
Maria came to Africa with me.

We did study about the equator.
Do you know where the prime meridian is?
We eat lunch on the equator.
This map has four meridians.
Get the map.
I’m good at finding latitude.
Do you have the map?
He likes geography.
She put the map into her pocket.
I like to find latitude and longitude on a map.

We must be in Africa.
The map of North America is new.
The desert has no big lakes.
I want to swim to the Pacific Ocean now.
The map of Europe in on the desk.
Our lizard is on top of the mesa.
The fish jumped out of the sea.
Please help me find a waterfall.
The pretty girl is sitting on the beach.
Don’t run off the cliff.

We like to ride our bicycles through the canyon.
The teacher saw an eagle flying above the canyon.
Mom says the mountains are beautiful.
She stood on top of the mesa.
The glacier was beautiful so I took a picture.
We will go to the beach soon.
Look at that big tree.
There is a pretty yellow bird in the meadow.
Let’s go to the canyon after it gets dark.
Maria climbed the sand dune again.

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