Download Map Master Skills Handbook

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Map Master
Skills Handbook
Five Themes of Geography
Understanding Globes
How To Use A Map
Human Migration
Notebook
Number
_________
Mr. Graver
Old World Cultures
Name _____________________
Period ____________________
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In this chapter, you’ll be introduced to many skills you’ll need
to do well in Old World Cultures. You’ll learn about the “Five
Themes of Geography,” how to use a map and a globe, what
migration is and how it changes history, and how people
change the Earth. Whew! Geography is a HUGE topic!
Five Themes of Geography: Just by paging through this first chapter you
can probably figure out that “Geography” is a huge topic to study. When
some people hear the word “Geography” they think about studying states
and capitals. Although that’s part of Geography, there is so much more!
To make the study of Geography a little easier to understand, geographers
have divided it up into 5 smaller topics, or themes. Let’s find out what they
are!
1. LOCATION
1. What question does the theme “Location” answer?
Location answers the question “Where is it?”
Where is Slatington Located?
Where is the United States Located?
2. What does ABSOLUTE LOCATION mean? Give an example of Absolute
Location.
It tells us exactly where something is located on the earth. It’s like an
address – There is only one spot on the face of the earth for that specific
location.
To describe where Slatington is located using Absolute Location, we
might say it’s at 42 degrees North Latitude by 80 degrees West
Longitude.
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3. What does RELATIVE LOCATION mean? Give an example of Relative
Location.
When we use Relative Location, we describe where an unknown place is
located using known and familiar places.
Where is Turkey Hill located? Hmmm… You have to go up the steep
hill in Slatington until you go around the sharp left hand turn by the
firemen’s statue. When you come to the stoplight, Turkey Hill is on
your right hand side.
2. REGIONS
4. What is a good definition for the theme of REGIONS?
Regions are areas that share at least one common feature.
Hawaii and Jamaica have at least one thing in common. They are both
in a tropical climate region.
5. Give two examples of Regions.
Areas around the world where people speak English would be an
example of a language Region.
Rainforests and desserts would be examples of climate Regions.
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3. PLACE
6. What does PLACE help us to understand?
This theme helps us realize that every place on earth is different from
every other place.
Every place has different landforms, climates, plants, animals, people,
and languages.
7. Every place has unique PHYSICAL characteristics and unique HUMAN
characteristics. It is these characteristics that help geographers identify and
describe a place.
8. Give some examples of PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS that help us to
describe a place.
The Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building make New York
City different from every other place.
The Eiffel Tower makes Paris different from every other place.
The Firemen’s Statue and the Blue Mountain make Slatington different
from every other place.
9. Give some examples of HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS that help us to
describe a place.
The types of clothing people wear helps to make a place different from
any other places. Cowboy hats and boots make Texas different from
other places.
The types of foods people eat helps to make one place different from
every other place. Many people in Mexico eat tacos.
Language accents help to make one place different from every other
place.
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4. MOVEMENT
10. What question does the Theme of MOVEMENT answer?
Movement answers the question, “How do people, goods, and ideas
move from place to place?”
11. How did Marco Polo give us an excellent example of MOVEMENT?
He loaded his ship with goods made in Italy and went to China. He
traded his Italian goods for Chinese goods. The Chinese got things they
had never seen before.
Marco Polo went back home to Italy with rice and silk from China. The
Italians loved these new goods they had never seen before.
In a very short time, the Italians and Chinese were also trading ideas,
religion, and language back and forth.
12. What can BLUE JEANS teach us about MOVEMENT?
Blue Jeans were “invented” in our country and first worn by
gold miners and farmers.
It didn’t take long for people all over the world with other
types of jobs to start wearing Blue Jeans!
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5. INTERACTION
13. What two things are interacting when we talk about the Theme of
INTERACTION?
Human beings and the environment are interacting with each other
when we talk about this theme.
14. Give some examples as to how people INTERACT with the environment.
We interact with our environment to make our lives easier. We build
houses to stay warm and dry.
We build dams to control floods.
We build roads to drive our cars on. We pollute the air with
the cars we drive.
We wear coats to stay warm in the winter and shorts to stay
cool in the summer.
15. What’s the difference between PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY and HUMAN
GEOGRAPHY?
Physical Geography is the study of natural features of the earth.
Physical Geographers would study things like mountains, rivers,
deserts, and oceans.
Human Geographers study people and try to figure out why people
change their landscape. Human Geographers want to know why people
built the Great Wall of China.
They also want to know how ideas, languages, religions, and technology
move around the world.
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Understanding Globes: In this section, you’ll find out what globes are and
how to use them. We’ll also find out what all of those lines are used for on
maps and globes!
1. What is a good definition of the term GLOBE?
A GLOBE is a scale model of the Earth.
2. What do globes show us?
A globe shows the actual shapes, sizes, and locations of all Earth’s
landmasses and bodies of water.
3. Why is a globe better than a map?
The Earth is round. A map is flat. It’s impossible to put a round object
on a flat piece of paper. Everything on a map becomes distorted.
4. What are PARALLEL lines of LATITUDE on a globe or map?
Parallel lines, or Latitude lines, are lines that are drawn horizontally on
a map. They are lines that are drawn from left to right.
Latitude lines are numbered from 0 degrees to 90 degrees NORTH
Latitude and from 0 degrees to 90 degrees SOUTH Latitude.
5. What is the most important line of Latitude? Where is this line located and
what number is it given?
The most important line of Latitude is the EQUATOR. It is halfway
between the North and South Pole and is given the number 0 degrees
Latitude.
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6. How much distance does ONE DEGREE of Latitude represent?
One degree of Latitude is about 70 miles.
7. What do we call all of the latitudes, land, and water NORTH of the equator?
Anything that is located ABOVE the Equator is in the Northern
Hemisphere.
8. What do we call all of the latitudes, land, and water SOUTH of the Equator?
Anything that is located BELOW the Equator is in the Southern
Hemisphere.
9. What are MERIDIAN lines of LONGITUDE on a map or Globe?
Meridian lines, or lines of Longitude, are lines that are drawn vertically
on a map. They are lines that are drawn up and down.
Longitude lines are numbered from 0 degrees to 180 degrees
EAST Longitude and from 0 degrees to 180 degrees WEST
Longitude.
10. What is the most important line of LONGITUDE? What famous place does
this line run through and what number is it given?
The most important line of Longitude is the Prime Meridian.
It runs through Greenwich, England. When it’s Tuesday on one side of
the Prime Meridian, it’s Wednesday on the other.
The Prime Meridian is given the number 0 degrees Longitude.
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11. What do we call all of the Longitudes, land, and water EAST of the Prime
Meridian?
Anything on the East side (Right side) of the Prime Meridian is in the
Eastern Hemisphere
12. What do we call all of the Longitudes, land, and water WEST of the Prime
Meridian?
Anything on the West side (Left side) of the Prime Meridian is in the
Western Hemisphere.
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How To Use A Map: In this section, we’ll find out how to use the different
clues mapmakers put on maps to help us understand the information on a
map. This is easy!
1. What does a LOCATOR GLOBE do for someone reading a map?
A Locator Globe shows where on the Earth the area of the map is
located.
2. What does a TITLE do for someone reading a map?
A Title tells you the subject of the map.
3. What does a COMPASS ROSE show?
A Compass Rose shows you directions (North, South, East, and West)
on a map or globe.
4. What is another term for a map KEY? What does it do?
A Map Key is also called a LEGEND. It shows the symbols and colors
used on the map and what each means.
5. What does a SCALE BAR do?
A Scale Bar helps you find actual distances between points shown on the
map. For example, one inch on the map may equal 300 miles on the
Earth.
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Human Migration: We’re on the move! Heck, people have been moving
from place to place since the beginning of time. In this section, we’ll find
out what happens to people and places when other people migrate to a new
place.
1. What is HUMAN MIGRATION?
It’s when a large group of people move from one area
to another.
2. What THEME of Geography are we talking about when we study
MIGRATION?
When we study Migration, we are learning about the Theme of
Geography called MOVEMENT.
3. What happens to people and their new environment when people migrate?
When people migrate, they change their environment and
are changed by their environment.
When people move, the culture people bring with them
mixes with the cultures of the place in which they have
settled.
4. What is FORCED MIGRATION?
It’s when people are forced to move from their homes to another place.
These people did not want to leave their homes.
Slavery is an example of FORCED MIGRATION.
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5. Give an example of something that would “PUSH” people to migrate out of
an area.
Poverty, or losing your job, may “push” people to migrate out of an
area.
A hurricane may “push” people to migrate out of an area.
6. Give an example of something that would “PULL” people to migrate to an
area.
The promise of a better life, or a better job, may “pull” people to
migrate to another area.