EE 314: PRAXIS Geography Review

III. Geography — Geo = Earth, Graph = write or print — Geography = the study of earth’s surface

Physical Geography: the natural surface of the earth. – Islands, bay, sea, gulf, archipelago.

Human Geography: includes the human element of our environment. – Cities, borders.

A. Understands the concepts of location, distance, and direction.

1. Elements of a map
i. Title: what the map is representing and showing
ii. Legend: key or main points shown on a map
iii. Grid: longitude and latitude?
iv. Compass rose: the directions on a map (North, East, South, West)
v. Scale: how the map is measured. (miles to feet)
2. Types and purposes of maps
i. Physical maps: demonstrates locations and features of a place.
ii. Topographical maps: shows elevation changes with circles.
iii. Political maps: Entire places solidly colored. Borders!
3. Location
i. Absolute location: Uses coordinates. Does not move.
ii. Relative location: Describing the location to something near it. (left of Subway)
iii. Coordinates:
4. Latitude (parallels): measures north and south.
i. Equator: is measured at 0 degrees.
ii. Tropics: Tropic of Cancer is 23.5 degrees north. the tropic of Capricorn is 23.5
degrees south.
5. Longitude (meridians): measures east and west.
i. International Date Line: where the day starts.
ii. Prime (Greenwich) Meridian: starting at the beginning. is measured at 0
degrees.
6. Directions
i. Cardinal directions: North, East, South, West
ii. Intermediate directions: at the 45 degree angles between the cardinal
directions. (North-East)
7. Physical features of geographic locations:
i. Biome or vegetation zones:
ii. Climate:
8. Cultural features of geographic locations:
i. Population density:
ii. Religion:
iii. Languages:
9. Geographic Features of planet Earth:
i. Continents, oceans, seas, rivers, bays, mountain ranges, plateaus, valleys, plains,
ice caps, tundra, forest, grassland, desert, island, isthmus, strait.
B. Understands physical characteristics of place and how they affect human activities and
settlement patterns.
1. Understands the fundamental forces at work in cyclical patterns.
EE 314: PRAXIS Geography Review

i. Seasons: happens because the earth tilts (23.5 degrees) on its axis. the tilt stays
the same forever. When the northern hemisphere is facing the sun, you have
longer days. winter - shorter days.
ii. Weather: is immediate, is today.
iii. Climate: long term.
2. Basic mechanisms and consequences that have short-term effects on Earth:
i. Floods, droughts, and snowstorms.
3. Basic mechanisms and consequences that have long-term effects on Earth:
i. Earthquakes, natural erosion, volcanic eruptions.
4. Factors affecting settlement patterns – why are some places densely populated and
others sparsely?
C. Understands human characteristics of place and how humans adapt to variations in the physical
environment.
1. Population trends in the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries.
i. Immigration patterns (causes and effects)
ii. immigration is into a place.
iii. emmigration is moving out of a place.
1. PUSH Factors:
2. PULL Factors:
iv. Why did some parts of the country grow more than others in the 20th century?
2. Distinctions between nations:
i. Primary (Developing):
ii. Secondary (Industrial):
iii. Tertiary (Services):
3. Major trade relationships between the US and other nations
i. Imports: bringing into the country.
ii. Exports: shipping out of the country to other countries.
iii. Trade deficit: imports are greater than exports. bringing more into the country
than we are sending out.
iv. Trade surplus: exports are greater than imports. bringing less into the country
than we are sending out.
4. Environmental impacts of human systems such as food, clothing, shelter, transportation,
recreation, economic and industrial systems.
i. Human-initiated fire:
ii. Water and air pollution:
iii. Waste disposal:
iv. Logging, deforestation, erosion, and desertification: desertification - the
expansion of deserts. deforestation - cutting down forests. logging - trees (hold
carbon).
v. Global warming:
vi. Ozone-layer depletion: The layer of O3 that protects us from heat. The heat is
now being kept inside the earth, instead of being pushed back out. A shield that
absorbs most of the ultraviolet rays/radiation.
5. Natural Resources – what are they and why do they matter?
EE 314: PRAXIS Geography Review

i. Renewable resources:
ii. Nonrenewable resources:
iii. Energy resources:
iv. Mineral resources:
v. Food resources:
vi. Land resources:
D. Understands similarities and differences between and among people.
1. Differences and similarities in material and nonmaterial culture.
i. Material culture: american culture. a culture that puts materials into the world.
having the most up to date version of a phone.
ii. Nonmaterial culture: value in other things. religion, home life, and Earth.
2. Ways in which being a member of a different culture might affect social interactions with
members of the dominant culture.
i. What is a dominant culture? the culture of the majority of that location.