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Place and Location
L E A R N I N G
•
•
•
O U T C O M E S
explain the purpose of latitude, longitude, parallels, and
meridians
locate on a world map the continents, major landforms, major
bodies of water, and climatic and vegetation zones
appreciate the diversity of the global natural environment
Getting Precise About Location
W
hen we study location, we are looking for the
answers to two questions: Where is it? Why is
it there? With new technology, it is quite easy
to determine your location very precisely. A Global
Positioning System (GPS) receives signals from an orbiting satellite. Instantly, you receive your position in latitude, longitude,
and elevation. You know exactly where you are on Earth. The
locational information given by GPS can be stored in computers.
Later, this information can be turned into maps. Using GPS, it is
now possible to know the exact location (within a few metres) of
any spot on Earth. GPS is very useful for many things, like boater
safety and hiking. GPS is also used to help towns and cities locate
features on maps exactly. This type of locational information has
made mapping more precise. Humans have come a long way
from the methods of early explorers to find their positions and
make maps of areas they encountered.
KEY VOCABULARY
absolute location
boundaries
characteristics
climate
coordinate system
divide
drainage basin
eastings
ecozone
El Niño
functional characteristics
geologic regions
Global Positioning System
(GPS)
grid
human characteristics
landform regions
latitude
location
longitude
natural forces
northings
physical characteristics
physical regions
region
rural regions
soil regions
time zones
urban regions
vegetation
wilderness regions
You are at
Longitude 70° W
Latitude 40° N
GPS was first used by
the military to help
armies pinpoint positions.
It’s now used by sailors,
mapmakers, surveyors,
and others. One of its
newer uses is to help
direct cruise missiles.
Where
am I?
Figure 1.1
Find this boat’s position on a map.
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C H A P T E R 1 : Place and Location
Where Are You Exactly?
There are many types of maps. Some of
the most common are
• provincial road maps
• street maps
• topographic maps that show
surface features in detail
Different grid systems are used
to find the locations of places on
maps. A road map usually uses a letter/
number system to help you find locations. Topographic maps use reference
systems such as the six-figure grid coordinate system of eastings and northings.
Latitude and Longitude
Maps and globes are divided by imaginary lines that run east and west, and
lines that run north and south.
Figure 1.2
Compare this map to a
modern map of Lake
Winnipeg and area. Did
this mapmaker do a good
job? Are there any errors?
On this map, where is
Winnipeg located?
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• East–west lines are called lines of latitude. They are
also called parallels.
• Latitude is measured in degrees (symbol °) north or
south of the Equator.
• The Equator is the line at 0° latitude.
• Latitudes are numbered from 0° to 90° North and
from 0° to 90° South.
• The two poles are the highest latitudes.
• Imaginary north–south lines are called lines of
longitude; they are also called meridians.
• Longitude is measured in degrees east or west of the
Prime Meridian.
• The Prime Meridian is the line at 0° longitude.
• Longitudes are numbered from 0° to 180° East and
from 0° to 180° West.
• Longitude lines meet at both poles.
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U N I T 1 : Investigating Geography
Absolute Location
It is important to be able to locate places precisely. We need
to be able to give the absolute location of a spot on Earth.
When natural resources are found, the absolute location
must be determined. The absolute location makes the
resources the property of one country and not another.
Suppose oil is found along the border of two countries with
a clearly defined boundary. It is important to know exactly
where the oil field lies to determine who owns it.
Oil was discovered in the Gulf of Mexico. Part of the Gulf
belongs to the United States. Part belongs to Mexico. It was
very important to find out how much of the oil was in the
United States and how much was in
Mexico. Canada and the United States dispute who has the right to fish for salmon in
parts of the Pacific Ocean. They need to
know the absolute locations of the boundaries between the states of Washington
and Alaska with the province of British
Columbia. Absolute location affects trade
and economic growth. It is also important
to help resolve conflict
between groups, companies, or countries.
Figure 1.3
What other information
can you get from a road
map besides routes?
Figure 1.4
Find this section of
Canada on a full map.
Figure 1.5
What is the main feature
on this map?
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C H A P T E R 1 : Place and Location
Does the Place Make
Sense?
There are many reasons why places are located
where they are. Physical characteristics of the area
affect where places are located. It is important to
consider the landforms. Are there hills, ridges, or
valleys? Bodies of water are also important. Is there
a lake or a river nearby? Well-drained soil makes a
better location for a place than soil that is poorly
drained. Vegetation, weather, and climate also
affect where places are located. Is the area forested, or is it grassland? Is it cold or hot, wet or dry?
It’s Your World
Figure 1.6
Why do you think anyone
would build a house
here?
Figure 1.7
A village clings to the edge
of Naervoy Fiord, Norway.
Why do you think people
decided to settle here?
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T
hink about setting up a colony on the moon.
You want to be able to have all the essential
things for your life at your new lunar site. You
can’t take everything. There’s not a lot of room
on the shuttle craft. List the 20 things you will
take. People can be on your list. You might want
a doctor.
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U N I T 1 : Investigating Geography
Other places were chosen for their location based on human
characteristics. People tend to locate where there are other people. Large cities attract people. If there is a river or lake, communities tend to spread along the riverbank or the lakeshore.
People tend to live with people of a cultural background similar
to their own. Religious reasons can also affect where people
choose to live. Some people want to live near the centre of their
faith, like Jerusalem or Mecca.
Locations for places like towns, farms, or factories are
chosen because of distinctive human and physical characteristics. These different characteristics allow us to
distinguish places from each other.
Figure 1.8
The Blue Mosque
is a holy site for
Muslims.
1. Think about your community. Why is it located where it is? What physical and
human characteristics affect its location?
2. Think about the activities in your life. How could GPS be useful in your life?
3. Imagine you are the ruler of a country. Why is absolute location important to you
and your country?
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C H A P T E R 1 : Place and Location
Creek
Woods
Different Ways of
Organizing the World
Any area that has a set of defined characteristics is a region. Your neighbourhood
is a region. Your schoolyard is a region.
Your town or city is a region. Your home
has regions in it. It has different spaces
where you eat, sleep, relax, and work.
Each is defined by a certain set of shared
features or characteristics.
Regions are areas used in the study of
geography. We organize the world into
spaces and places called regions. This
makes the investigation of physical and
human patterns easier and more understandable. Creating regions helps us see
and explain relationships and connections more clearly.
School
Figure 1.9
Think about the criteria that make
your neighbourhood a region. Does
this neighbourhood resemble yours?
How is it the same? Different?
It’s Your World
C
anada is divided into postal regions to make mail delivery faster. Every address has a postal code, such as
R2W 4A6. The first letter in your postal code indicates the
largest region that your address is part of (your province or
part of it). The last number tells the smallest part of your
postal region (your section of a street or rural road). Find out
what your postal code is and compare with your classmates’.
Figure 1.10
This apartment complex
is a region. What are the
common characteristics
of this region?
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U N I T 1 : Investigating Geography
A region is a space or area defined by certain characteristics.
A region has definite limits to its size. It also has boundaries that
outline its area. Your neighbourhood region may have boundaries that are streets, a river, a rail line, a farm, a forest, or a park.
Regions can be very small, like your bedroom. They can be
physical regions that cover vast areas of the globe, such as the
Coniferous Forest Region or the Sahara Desert. Some regions are
political, like Canada or Manitoba.
Grand Beach
Dunnottar
Teulon
Rockwood, St. Andrews,
RM
RM
Thompson
Libau
Clandeboye
Selkirk
Stonewall
St. François Xavier, RM
Garson
ver
Flin Flon
St. Clements,
RM
Ri
Stony Mountain
Bird’s Hill
West St.
Provincial Park
Rosser Paul, RM
A ss
inib
Bird’s
Hill
oin
St.
François
East
St.
eR
Paul, RM
Xavier
Dugald
Red
10
Rosser, RM
r
ive
Elie
Cartier, RM
Lake
Winnipeg
Springfield, RM
Winnipeg
Taché, RM
Headingly, RM
Starbuck
Lorette
Sanford
MacDonald, RM
St. Adolphe
Niverville
Ritchot,
RM
0
Dauphin
10 20 30 40 50 km
Figure 1.11
Lake
Manitoba
Portage
la Prairie
Brandon
Winnipeg
Selkirk
Steinbach
Central Plains
Eastman
Interlake
Norman
Parkland
Pembina Valley
Westman
Winnipeg
There are several levels
of political regions in
Canada. Name the
political regions you
live in.
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Is Anybody There?
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C H A P T E R 1 : Place and Location
TO
History
The world can be divided into three main regions based upon
where people live. There are wilderness
regions where no people live. There are
Who reached the
rural regions, which are farms and counSouth Pole first? Read
try. Urban regions are towns and cities.
some of the exciting and often sad stories of the
attempts to reach it. How has modern
exploration been affected by technology?
Wilderness Regions
Figure 1.12
Some wilderness regions cover vast land areas but
have similar characteristics throughout. What are
some of the physical characteristics that define a
polar region?
“
W ilderness parks are
the landscape of the soul. They
are about beauty, about reflection and
quiet contemplation. They are about
a society that retains enough humility
to leave some part of nature alone...
Q
Harvey Locke, President of the Foundation for
Canadian Parks and Wilderness
Figure 1.13
The Boreal Forest covers much of the
northern parts of Canada, of Europe,
and of Asia. The trees are needle-leaf
trees like spruce and pine. What other
characteristics define this region?
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U N I T 1 : Investigating Geography
Rural Regions
A rural region has open countryside with few towns. As our population has grown, the number of people living in rural areas has
decreased. Urban and rural regions in Canada have changed a lot
over the past hundred years. Only about 20 percent of Canadians
now live in rural regions. Fewer farmers are needed to supply our
food because of technological advances.
The population of the
island country of
Singapore is classed
as 100 percent urban.
In contrast, the
country of Rwanda is
95 percent rural.
Urban Regions
An urban region has little open countryside. Many urban regions
try to create rural areas inside them in the form of parks. In
Canada, about 80 percent of the population live in towns and
cities.
1. In 1911, 41 percent of Canadians lived in urban areas; now, nearly 80 percent do.
Do you think Canada’s population will ever become 100 percent urban? Explain
your reasons.
2. List four reasons why people would choose to move to cities from rural areas.
Figure 1.14
Identify three
characteristics that make
this an urban region.
100
90
80
% of Population
12
Rural
Urban
?
Urban
24 000 000 people
live in urban areas
70
60
50
40
30
Rural
6 000 000 people
live in rural areas
20
10
?
1881 1901 1921 1941 1961 1981 2001 2021
Year
2001
Figure 1.16
Figure 1.15
What identifies this as a
rural region?
What was the ratio of urban population to rural
population in 2001? How has the number of people
living in rural and urban areas changed over the past
100 years?
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C H A P T E R 1 : Place and Location
Regions and Change
A region can be defined by its physical characteristics. These
could be soil, type of terrain, or the amount of precipitation.
Another way to define a region is by its human characteristics —
religion, language, or culture. A third way is by its functional
characteristics. The ways we use a region, such as for farming or
for industry, fall into this group.
Figure 1.17
What is the most important
physical region in your area?
Physical Regions
Physical regions, such as the Himalayas
(a mountain region), or the Sahara (a
desert region), are defined by their
physical characteristics. Each physical
region has a common characteristic
throughout its area.
Vegetation region
Mountain region
Maritime region
Sedimentary rock region
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U N I T 1 : Investigating Geography
Desert Regions
Deserts are regions that receive less than 250 mm of precipitation per year. Look at the map of average precipitation in North
Africa. It helps to show us the boundaries of the world’s largest,
hot desert region.
Figure 1.18
N il e
List the names of the
deserts found in
North Africa. Use an
atlas.
R.
Sahara Desert
under 250 mm of precipitation
Sene
g
Zaire
R.
.
rR
ge
Ni
R.
al
over
over250
250mm
mm of precipitation
precipitation
The shield regions of
the world are the core
crustal areas of our
continents. There are
shields on every
continent but none as
large as the Canadian
Shield. It makes up
nearly half of Canada.
N
Geologic and Landform Regions
Geologic and landform regions give us a way to study the Earth’s
crust. Geologic regions are areas whose main characteristic
is that they have the same types of rocks. The Canadian Shield
is a geologic region. Landform regions are areas whose main
characteristic is that they
have the same major surface
Innuitian
features. The Interior Plains
Region
and Hudson Bay Lowlands
Arctic Coastal
are landform regions.
Plain
Arctic
Lowlands
Cordilleran
Region
Figure 1.19
Interior
Plains
Hudson Bay
Lowlands
C A
N A D I A N
D
EL
I
SH
St. Lawrence
Lowlands
Appalachian
Region
Most of Manitoba's farming is
done on the Interior Plains. How
does farming suit the surface
features of this landform region?
Which landform region do you
live in?
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C H A P T E R 1 : Place and Location
Figure 1.20
This graph shows the
relationship between
climate and vegetation.
What sort of climate and
vegetation does your area
have?
Climate, Vegetation, and Soil Regions
Natural forces define climate, vegetation, and soil regions.
These three types of regions usually have the same boundaries.
This is no accident! The climatic conditions of a region affect
the types of vegetation that can grow there. The climate and vegetation affect the soils that develop. A specific climatic region
will produce a specific vegetation region. In turn, the vegetation
region makes a specific soil region.
Soil regions have similar patterns to geologic, landform, and
climatic regions. A polar region has a cold, dry climate — a cold
desert. It is a region that has little vegetation and very poor soil. A tropical
BAKER LAKE
region has a warm, wet climate, which
is perfect for plant growth. Thick soil
forms rapidly in this region.
SW U.S.
MIXED
DECIDUOUS
CONIFEROUS
TUNDRA
DESERT
Short
grass
VEGETATION
CLIMATE
Mixed
grasses
HOT,
DRY
PRECIPITATION < 250 mm
250 mm
Tall
grass
WARM,
WET
COOL,
WET
COLD,
DRY
500 mm
500 mm
< 250 mm
Regions Within Regions
There are regions within regions. A coniferous forest is a large
vegetation region. It can be divided into many smaller sections
where climatic and growing conditions vary. Pine trees prefer
sandy soils. Spruce or cedar trees like wet and boggy soil. They
will be found in another area of the forest.
It’s Your World
O
nly three Canadian cities are in a climate region that lets
them “guarantee” that there will be snow on December 25.
One such city is Winnipeg. Discover the other two.
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U N I T 1 : Investigating Geography
Weather Changes Regions
Sometimes changes in the weather patterns in
another area of the world can cause changes in
our regions. Amazingly, the pattern of ocean currents over 8000 kilometres away affects our lives
here in Manitoba. El Niño is a huge mass of very
warm water that appears frequently off the coast
of northern South America. Since 1985, El Niño
has affected the weather in our regions several
times. El Niño caused changes in our weather in
1986, 1991, 1994, and 1997–98. It is difficult to predict what effect an “El Niño” year will have on the
weather in North America.
However, more storms,
higher precipitation, and
El Niño is the name
more extreme seasonal
for warmer-than-normal
temperatures can result.
sea surface temperatures in the Pacific
Ocean off the west
coast of South
America. La Niña is the
name for colder-thannormal sea surface
temperatures in the
Pacific Ocean. La Niña
tends to have the
opposite effect on
weather patterns in
other regions.
Figure 1.21
The strongest El Niño on record
was in 1997–98. In that winter,
western Canada was unusually
warm, and the southern and
western parts of the United
States suffered many storms.
1. Choose a capital city in one of the provinces of Canada. In point form, describe
the physical region it is in. Think about the different ways you could describe the
physical region it is in. Think about landforms, type of rocks, climate, vegetation,
and soil.
2. Describe the region you live in as
a) a climate region
b) a soil region
c) a landform region
d) a vegetation region
3. Look at a map of Canada. Where do most people live? What is the connection
between physical regions and where most communities are located?
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Get Into the Zone
We define regions to make things simpler and easier to handle.
Time zones were developed to help us better communicate with
people living in other parts of the world.
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Generally, each time zone represents a one-hour difference
in time. Time zones start at
In 1878, Sir Sandford Fleming, a
Greenwich, England. It is from
History
Canadian railway surveyor and
here that the 24-hour clock is
construction engineer, led the
measured.
development of the time zone system. His system was adopted
The width of each zone is
worldwide in 1884. Today, with faster transportation
15 degrees of longitude. This
and mass communication systems, time zones play an even
is based on the Earth making
greater part in our lives. If it is midnight in London,
one rotation of 360 degrees
England, what time is it in Brandon, Manitoba? in
in 24 hours (360 ÷ 24 = 15).
S
TO
Vancouver, British Columbia? in Moscow, Russia?
How can these variations affect you?
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7
6
6
5
4
3
2
1
Noon
1
2
3
4
A.M.
P.M.
Behind Ahead
5
3
4
2
Prime Meridian
7
5
0
1
2
0
7
4
6
4
8
5
0
5
3
1
3h 30min
2
1
2
4
3
0
2
3h
30 min
Time Zones
Figure 1.22
If it’s noon in London,
England, what time is it
in your area?
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Zone 1
Zone 2
1
2
5
hour zones
52˚30'E
37˚30'E
22˚30'E
7˚30'E
4
0˚
7˚30'E
22˚30'W
37˚30'W
52˚30'W
67˚30'W
82˚30'W
97˚30'W
112˚30'W
127˚30'W
0
67˚30'E
9
142˚30'W
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C H A P T E R 1 : Place and Location
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U N I T 1 : Investigating Geography
Our Ecozones
Regions can have one main characteristic in common. It might
be vegetation or population. Regions can also be defined by
more than one factor. They can share physical and human features. A region could be defined by plains (physical) and farms
(human). When we combine natural features and human activities in a particular area, we create a region called an ecozone.
Figure 1.23
The Interior Plains of
North America are
ecozones. They are
important agricultural
areas.
The Riviera region along the north Mediterranean seacoast
is an ecozone. It includes parts of several countries (political
regions). These parts all have beaches and coastal mountains.
They also have a climate that is generally warm and dry all the
time (physical region). Similar kinds of crops are grown — grapes
and olives (vegetation region). It has summer year-round, so the
area has become popular for holidays (human region). All of
these things together have made the area a unique ecozone.
AUSTRIA HUNGARY
Landform Regions
ROMANIA
FRANCE
Mountains
YUGOSLAVIA
ITALY
Hills
BULGARIA
Plateaus
ALBANIA
SPAIN
Plains
GREECE
M e d
MOROCCO
i
t
e
r
r
TUNISIA
a n
e a n
TURKEY
SYRIA
LEBANON
S e a
ALGERIA
LIBYA
EGYPT
ISRAEL
Figure 1.24
Which countries are
included in the Riviera
region?
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C H A P T E R 1 : Place and Location
AC
AB
AA
NA
TC
Canada’s Ecozones
In Canada, we have fifteen distinct landbased ecozones and five marine-based ecozones. Defining these regions helps when
dealing with problems and issues. Suppose
we want to create a park to protect unique
physical features or the habitat of particular
animals. We need to know where the
ecozone begins and ends. We also need
to understand how everything is
connected within that ecozone.
Ecozones
BC
NA
SA
TP
NW
TS
PMAR
AC
Arctic Cordillera
AM
Atlantic Maritime
BC
Boreal Cordillera
BP
Boreal Plains
BS
Boreal Shield
HP
Hudson Plains
PM
BP
TS
MC
MWP
Mixed Wood Plains
MC
Montane Cordillera
NA
Northern Arctic
PM
Pacific Maritime
MWP
P
BS
AMAR
Figure 1.25
Why do you think
Canada’s prairie ecozone
is so important to us and
to the world?
AM
HP
P
Prairie
SA
Southern Arctic
TC
Taiga Cordillera
TP
Taiga Plain
TS
Taiga Shield
AA
Arctic Archipelago
AB
Arctic Basin
AMAR
Atlantic Marine
People are the driving force behind
NW
Northwest Atlantic
change to ecozones. There is a strong conPMAR Pacific Marine
nection between our environment and our
human activities. Our ecozones are affected
by pollution and climate change. These are caused by our use of
resources and our way of life. We use more land for agriculture
and our growing cities. What we do affects our natural environment. We can threaten it or conserve it. It is important to be
aware of how our activities affect the physical characteristics of
ecozones.
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U N I T 1 : Investigating Geography
Regional Boundaries
Some regional boundaries are natural.
They can be rivers, the crests of
mountains, coastlines, and bodies
of water. Sometimes natural
boundaries such as mountains
act as obstacles, or barriers.
Others, such as rivers, separate, but they also allow contact and communication.
Divides
One natural physical
region is a drainage area, or drainage basin. All the water that falls
as precipitation and runs off the land in a basin drains into one
main river. This river usually flows into another body of water. The
boundary between drainage areas is called a divide.
Figure 1.26
The Alps form a boundary
for parts of different
countries. Use an atlas to
discover which countries.
DRAINAGE
DIVIDE
Source
Riv
ry
Tributa
Drainage
Basin
er
Drainage
Basin
Ocean
= Direction of Water Flow
Figure 1.27
In this example, there are
two divides, making the
water flow into three
different drainage basins.
Check to discover where
the runoff water drains in
your area.
Drainage
Basin
Mouth
The greatest drainage
boundary in North
America is called the
Continental Divide, or
the Great Divide. If
you were able to
stand right on the
Divide with a pail of
water and dump it,
half would flow
toward the Pacific
Ocean, and the rest
would flow toward the
Atlantic Ocean or
Arctic Ocean!
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C H A P T E R 1 : Place and Location
Arctic Ocean
Co
nt
in
ental
Pacific Ocean
Div
ide
Drainage Basins
of North America
Pacific
Gulf of Mexico
Atlantic
Gulf of
Mexico
Hudson Bay
Atlantic Ocean
Arctic
Pacific Ocean
Figure 1.28
Some of the precipitation
that falls on Canada
drains out to the Gulf of
Mexico. Which big river
would this water flow
into?
Drainage Basins in North America
North America has five major drainage
basins. Water runs off North America into
the Pacific Ocean, the Arctic Ocean,
Hudson Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, and the
Gulf of Mexico.
Figure 1.29
What do you think the
sign says on the other
side?
1. Name three natural boundaries in your area.
2. If a chemical were spilled in a river or stream in your region, where would it go?
Make a map of its route. List the damage and dangers it could cause.
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U N I T 1 : Investigating Geography
Skills for Active Democratic
Citizenship
1 Study the words to our national anthem,
“O Canada.”
a) What characteristics does the songwriter
recognize as important about our country?
b) Find out about the history of our national
anthem. Why is it important for our country to
have a national anthem?
c) Why is it important that people show their
respect during “O Canada”?
2 You live in a physical region of Canada. It is
part of an ecozone.
a) What can you do to help conserve the environment in your ecozone? Make a list of possible ideas. Choose two that you can put into
action and make part of your daily life.
b) In small groups, suggest what your class can
do to help conserve and protect the ecozone in
which you live. Make a list of all of your ideas.
Choose two that your class can put into action
immediately.
c) Share your conservation plan with the other
groups. Create a master list of actions. Display
this master list. At the end of each week, review
the list and evaluate how your class is doing.
Decide what you are doing well and congratulate yourselves. Identify what you could do
better, and work to improve your actions.
Skills for Managing Ideas and
Information
3 Imagine that you can create your very own ecozone. To plan your ecozone, create a chart with
these questions:
a) What shape will your ecozone be?
b) Which landforms will be in your ecozone?
c) What bodies of water will be in your ecozone?
d) What will be the climate in your ecozone?
e) What vegetation will be in your ecozone?
Remember that your climate will affect the
vegetation.
f) What kind of soil will be in your ecozone?
g) Where will communities be located in your
ecozone?
h) What natural resources will your ecozone
have?
i) How will people use these resources to make
a living?
j) Where will people go for holidays in your
ecozone?
4 Create a map of your imaginary ecozone that
shows
a) the major landforms
b) the major bodies of water
c) the climate zones
d) the vegetation zones
e) the main communities
f) the location of your natural resources
g) the location of any protected areas or parks
Your map must have a compass rose and a legend.
NEL
C H A P T E R 1 : Place and Location
Critical and Creative Thinking
Skills
Communication Skills
7 a) Investigate the beginnings of two interesting
5 How do you describe to someone how to get to
your place, your city hall, or some other location? Write down your directions to a location
some distance away. Did you use direction and
distance, or mainly landmarks in your description? If you used mainly direction and distance,
your description emphasized map skills.
However, if you used mainly landmarks, you
emphasized places that stand out as unique or
easily seen.
6 Different regions at the same latitude have
many characteristics in common. Research a set
of regions that share the same latitude. Pose
and answer four geographic questions about
these regions (e.g., Why are fiords common on
the coast of British Columbia?).
NEL
places in your community. Consider such things
as: When were they created or built? Who
named them? How do the names relate to the
earliest people or settlers there? Have the features changed since their beginnings?
Also investigate the changes in place
names in your community that have occurred
over the past twenty years. If possible, find out
why they changed.
b) In groups, share your findings and create a
chart of your research under appropriate headings to post and show the rest of the class.
8 Survey your class for each student's postal code.
List them on the board. Notice that the codes
all have the same first letter. Perhaps all the
students' codes in your school will have the first
three characters the same, and likely the fourth.
If you live in a big city, it is probable that the
only difference will be the last letter and the
number in the postal code. In rural areas, where
nearly everyone travels a significant distance to
school, the postal codes may differ greatly in
the last three characters.
a) Get a map of the area around your school.
Plot the location of each student's home by
placing a dot and the last three characters of
the code on the map.
b) On your map, draw lines that separate your
school area into postal regions. Compare your
boundaries to an actual postal code map of
your region.
c) Postal regions help us find addresses and
speed up mail service. List two other regions
that have been created to provide services.
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