Download the MSWord file, in format.

LEARNING MODULE 06 – GEOGRAPHY of UTAH
REGIONS… fifth of the five themes of Geography.
LM06
LM06-CC00 – Overview – of module
THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF THIS MODULE IS to understand why REGIONS are
special to geography (what’s special about geography… it’s spatial… that’s a clue).
WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW IS:
That the 17 words approach guarantees success in this course.
REGIONS… the theme for Part II of the course… regions based on 5 subsystems of Earth
systems.
COURSE LOGISTICS:
Coaching for posting
HW04, 05, 06
Terms
ALL these prep you for the midterm… and it is worth __ points… so… important but not to get
too worried about… here’s how to get at least a B- … list the “17 words”
How to get an A… show you see, appreciate, and understand the web of relationships among the
five themes of geography… Location, Place, Interactions, Movement, and Regions… applied to
Utah
BY THE END OF THIS LECTURE you should
You should be able to discuss "what" questions such as:
 What is meant by a region?
You should be able to articulate "why" questions about regions… although you are not expected
to know Utah’s regions based either on the 5 subsystems of Earth systems or the 7
perspectives of Soc/Behav science.
Here are a couple “why” questions you should be happy to think about:
(a) Why do regions based on politics differ from based on the hydrosphere (drainage
basins/watersheds)?
(b) why do geographers draw boundaries?
Major concepts
 A region is a relatively sizable area that is has more similarities within its borders than
the areas beyond its borders … for a specific characteristic.
 Geographers see, understand and appreciate spatial patterns. We draw boundaries and
create regions to better see, understand, and appreciate… webs of relationships.
 Therefore regions are one of the five themes of geography.
LINKS (LM = learning module; CC = content chunk)
LM CC
Lecture Notes
06
06
06
00
01
02
Module Overview
Why have “regions”?
What regions are
Download the
MSWord file,
in .doc format.
LINKS to
lecture chunks
LINK
LINK
LINK
MP3 only
Not active
06
03
06
06
06
04
05
06
06
07
06
08
06
09
Geographer’s special relationship to
LINK
regions
Cartography… the art of map making
Utah through cartographers’ maps
Regions based on an attribute…
physical geography
Regions based on an attribute…
cultural geography
Next steps: More on the Atlas
project, mid-term, terms… course
exhortations
LINK
LINK
LINK
LINK
LINK
LINK
LINK
Self Quizzes: not posted.
WebCT/Blackboard/Vista
ASSESSMENTS.
LM06-CC01 – Why have “regions”?
Powell’s map revisited
Thought questions:
Content:
So what?.
LM06-CC02 – What regions are
New Yorker’s view of regions
Thought questions:
Concept:
Some concepts and terms: Regions are large areas with important similarities
Relatively HOMOGENEOUS with respect to some attribute
Regions for different reasons – so some attributes will be RELEVANT versus IRRELEVANT
Can be human... (name the depts in College of Social and Behavioral Science)... regions based
on ANTHROPOLOGY, economics, family and consumer studies, POLITICAL SCIENCE,
psychology, and SOCIOLOGY. Culture regions...
Can be physical... name the subsystems of Earth systems...
So what?
.
LM06-CC03– Geographer’s special relationship to regions
Diagrams of contiguous…
Thought questions:
Concept:
Geographic terminology, e.g. GIS. Regions are polygons (areas... not lines or points). The are
based on an attribute that can be subjectively or objectively differentiated across the region...
meaning the attribute has different patterns of value across the terrain, and terrain that shares the
same generalize values are lumped as regions so long as they are ... continuous, contiguous, and
cohesive.
LM06-CC04 – Cartography… the art of map making
Brewer – map design – cover page
Thought questions:
How cultural are maps…? How think of space and place and location.
Mental maps
Use of maps
Concept:
Lines on a map: can be features such as roads or rivers;
How differ from BOUNDARIES
So what? GIS spells JOB
LM06-CC05 – Utah through cartographers’ maps
Miera’s map – of 1776
Evolution of geographic knowledge of Utah and the Intermountain West.
What did the early explorers know? How did their knowledge expand?
Miera1778 map of Escalante-Dominguez route for "New Mexico" LINK and Escalante1779
LINK for Utah. Interpret features.
Pre Lewis and Clark LINK
Arrowsmith 1802 LINK and DETAIL
Arrowsmith 1804 LINK and DETAIL
Lewis and Clark LINK
Irvings Astoria LINK
FREMONT - Great Salt Lake
Bonneville LINK
LM06-CC06 – Regions based on an attribute… physical geography …
5, 4, 3, 2, 1
FOURTH – REGIONS based on an attribute... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ... to be understood and memorized,
hopefully with meaning... we'll examine each of these up to the mid-term. All these are shown on
a map base of the relief map of Utah, specifically a DEM (digital elevation model) by R. Sterner
of Fermi Labs, used with permission.
5 REGIONS based on biosphere, LINK
4 REGIONS based on atmosphere, LINK
3 REGIONS based on geosphere, LINK
2 REGIONS based on hydrosphere, LINK
1 GREAT STATE ... with 29 counties, LINK to colored DEM with Counties
5 regions called ecoregions based on the biosphere... most difficult to picture... biosystems... life
and habitats. You don't have to memorize these and their boundaries but you should be able to
discuss them. Note there are 5 plus small portions of two others. Also note that they are named
for classic locations rather than for characteristic species.
4 regions called climate zones based on atmosphere (weather and climate, specifically the
amount of precipitation for life, note the interconnection between bio and atmo)
desert
steppe
montane
humid continental.
3 regions, called physiographic provinces, based on the geosphere, specifically, based on
landforms.
Colorado Plateau physiographic province,
Rocky Mountain physiographic province, and
Basin and Range physiographic province.
2 regions, called drainage basins or drainage areas, based on surface-water characteristics of the
hydrosphere (plus a tiny bit of a third hydrologic basin).
the Great Basin
the Colorado River drainage basin.
1 great State with 29 counties.
LM06-CC07 – Discuss… Regions based on an attribute… cultural geography
LM06-CC08 – Next steps:
More on the Atlas project, mid-term, terms… course exhortations …
HW06- People Places and Connections… Atlas for a Utah School Project