EE 314: PRAXIS Geography Review

III. Geography:

Physical Geography: The natural geography. Natural landforms (mountains, rivers, precipitation,
biomes (areas).

Human Geography: How humans have interacted with the environment. (Population density,
culture, transportation networks, borders, nations.)

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

1. Elements of a map
i. Title: Tells you what the map is over
ii. Legend: Key, tell you what the symbols on a map mean.
iii. Grid: Longitude and latitude
iv. Compass rose:
v. Scale: Tells you the distance
2. Types and purposes of maps
i. Physical maps: Show elevation & use colors to show elevation. Based on sea
level.
ii. Topographical maps: Use if you were going hiking. Uses concentric circles to
show elevation.
iii. Political maps: Shows human borders. (States & nations)
3. Location
i. Absolute location: Uses coordinates, it is precise.( Latitude x, longitude y)
ii. Relative location: Describes location in relation to somewhere else. ( West side
of …)
iii. Coordinates: Latitude and Longitude (X & Y)
4. Latitude (parallels): Measures North and South (also called parallels)
i. Equator: 0 Degrees (waist of planet earth). Splits the earth into 2 hemispheres
(northern and southern)
ii. Tropics: 23.5 degrees north - Tropic of Cancer & 23.5 degrees South-Tropic of
Capricorn. Area between the Tropics (warm & moisture because they get more
sunlight.)
5. Longitude (meridians): Start at the poles and end at the poles. Measures East and West
(also called meridians.)
i. International Date Line: Human made, no science behind it. Where a day starts.
Does not go through any land.
ii. Prime (Greenwich) Meridian: 0 degrees longitude. (Goes through Greenwich,
England.) Splits into 2 hemispheres Eastern, and Western.
6. Directions
i. Cardinal directions: Directions located at 90 degree intervals.
ii. Intermediate directions: Located between cardinal directions (NE,SE,SW,NW)
7. Physical features of geographic locations:
i. Biome or vegetation zones: Plants and animals living in an area based on the
environment. Vegetation: Plant life in an area (rainfall, suntype)
ii. Climate: Weather over time. Long term, weather is short term.
8. Cultural features of geographic locations:
EE 314: PRAXIS Geography Review

i. Population density: Shows how many people live in a general area. People per
area.
ii. Religion: beliefs
iii. Languages: How people communicate
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.
i. Seasons: Because earth sits on a tilted axis we have seasons. Spring & Fall the
sun is hitting both hemispheres equally. In the summer the sun is centered on
the tropics of cancer.
ii. Weather: Short term.
iii. Climate: Long term. Weather over time.
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)
1. PUSH Factors:
2. PULL Factors:
ii. 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:
ii. Exports:
iii. Trade deficit:
iv. Trade surplus:
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:
v. Global warming:
EE 314: PRAXIS Geography Review

vi. Ozone-layer depletion:

5. Natural Resources – what are they and why do they matter?
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:
ii. Nonmaterial culture:
2. Ways in which being a member of a different culture might affect social interactions with
members of the dominant culture.
i. What is dominant culture?