The document provides an overview of key geographic concepts:
1) It describes the Earth's relationship with the sun and how this affects day/night cycles and seasons as the Earth rotates on its tilted axis while revolving around the sun.
2) It introduces the five themes of geography - location, place, human-environment interaction, movement, and regions - which geographers use to study how the Earth and its people affect one another.
3) It explains some of these themes in more detail, such as how location can be described exactly via latitude and longitude or relatively to nearby places, and how regions allow geographic comparisons.
3. The Earth, The Sun, & Our
Environment
• Galaxy family of stars
– Includes the Earth, sun, planets, and stars
• Milky Way
– Galaxy we live in
– Our sun is a star in the Milky Way
• Sun provides light and energy needed for life in Earth
4. Days & Nights
• Sun is 93 million miles from Earth
– Provides Earth with heat and light
• Orbit
– Earth travels around the sun in an oval-shaped
path
• Revolution
– Journey Earth makes round the sun
– Takes 365 ¼ days (1 year)
5. Days and Nights
• Axis
– An imaginary line running through Earth between the
North & South Poles
– Earth spins as it revolves around the sun
• Rotation
– Each complete turn (or spin) the Earth makes
• Takes 24 hours (1 day)
• As Earth rotates
– Side facing the sun = daylight
• Other side is night
6.
7. Understanding Seasons
• Some places on Earth days are longer & in
others days are shorter
– b/c Earth’s axis is at an angle
• Earth’s tilt causes differences in temperature
– Sun’s rays hit Earth more directly than in others
• More direct rays – warmer
– Also affects how much food an area produces
• Why?
8.
9. Effect of Latitude
• Latitude
– Imaginary lines that are east-west circles around
the globe
• Equator
– A latitude line that circles the Earth exactly
halfway between the North & South Poles
10. Effect of Latitude
• Tropic of Cancer
– Line of latitude
– Summer solstice – June 22nd – sun shines directly
above Tropic of Cancer
• Tropic of Capricorn
– Line of latitude
– Winter solstice – December 22nd – sun shines directly
over Tropic of Capricorn
• Low Latitudes (tropics)
– Areas between the tropics
11. Effect of Latitude
• High altitudes or polar zones
– No direct sunlight, bitter cold
– Arctic Circle
• 66 degrees North
– Antarctic Circle
• 66 degrees South
12. Effect of Latitude
• Middle latitudes (temperate zones)
– Times of direct and indirect sunlight
– Makes mid-lat’s have seasons
• Spring, Fall, Winter, Summer
– Each lasts about 3 months
– Patterns of daylight, temperature, & weather
14. Study of Geography
• Geography study of Earth
– Geographers study how Earth and its people
affect each other
• Geographers try to solve two main ?’s
– Where are things located?
– Why are they there?
– Use 5 Themes of Geography to answer these
questions
15. 5 Themes of Geography
•
•
•
•
•
Location
Place
Human-Environment Interaction
Movement
Regions
16. Location
• 2 types – Exact & Relative
• Exact Location
– Uses latitude & longitude to find exact location on
Earth
– Lines of latitude = parallels – measure north to
south of equator
– Lines of longitude = meridians – measure east to
west of Prime Meridian
– Both measure in degrees
17. Location
• Relative Location
– Explains where a place is by describing what is
near it
– Ex: The gym is about 100 feet passed Mr.
Edwards’ door.
– Ex: Vienna is about 35 south of Jefferson City.
18. Place
• Place combines a location’s physical & human
features
– Physical Features – describes climate or what
lands is like
– Human Features – how many people or what kind
of things people do
19. Human-Environment Interaction
• How people affect their environment, the
physical characteristics of their natural
surroundings, and how their environment
affects them
– Ex: irrigation in dry lands
20. Movement
• Helps geographers understand relationship
among places
• Explains how people, goods and ideas get
from one place to another
– Cultural changes
21. Regions
• Geographers use this theme to make
comparisons
• Regions have unifying characteristics
– Climate, land, population, history, etc.