Geography Unit 1: Map Projections and Locations

Unit 1

• Map Projections: All map projections are inaccurate because attempting to represent a 3D sphere on a 2D surface inevitably distorts shapes, sizes, or distances.
• Mercator Projection: Good for navigation, but distorts size of landmasses at higher latitudes, making them appear larger than they actually are. The Peters Projection attempts to correct this size distortion, but it distorts shape.
• Map Elements: Maps contain features like title, legend, scale, compass rose, and symbols. Each element conveys specific information.
• Absolute Location: Determining precise location using coordinates (latitude and longitude)
• Absolute vs. Relative Location: Absolute location is fixed, while relative location describes location in relation to other places.
• City Coordinates: Students should practice finding and identifying coordinates for New York, Paris, Shanghai, and Rio de Janeiro.
• John Snow: John Snow revolutionized disease investigation by mapping the occurrence of cholera cases. This helped identify a source point, demonstrating the importance of spatial analysis in health studies.
• Thematic Maps: Distinguish types of thematic maps (e.g., choropleth, dot density, isoline) and execute analysis at four different analytical levels.
• Human-Environment Interaction: Understand how humans influence and are impacted by the environment, specifically citing the case study on climate change in the US.
• Environmental Opportunities & Constraints: Differentiate between environmental opportunities (beneficial resources) and constraints (limitations). Cite examples from “Human Planet”.

Unit 2

• Culture Definition: A complex concept encompassing shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts.
• Cultural Levels: Culture can be understood at various levels (e.g., material culture [tangible objects], beliefs and values [intangible], norms [accepted behaviors]) - visualize it as an iceberg metaphor.
• PERSIA GEM: Students must understand what each aspect (Political, Economic, Religious, Social, Intellectual, Artistic, Geographic) of PERSIA GEM represents, and provide specific examples of how each aspect relates to specific culture.
• Cultural Hearths: Identify significant cultural hearths (areas where cultures originated and spread).
• Diffusion: Cultural traits spread via various forms of diffusion including expansion diffusion (ideas spread through a population) and relocation diffusion (traits are spread through physical movement of people).
• Columbian Exchange: The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and people between the Old and New Worlds after Christopher Columbus' voyages.
• Silk Road: A network of trade routes connecting the East and West, facilitating the exchange of goods and ideas.
• Chinese Food & Diffusion: Examine how fortune cookies and Chinese food today reflect cultural diffusion.
• McDonald's & Global Reach: Explore how McDonald's utilizes regional preferences to adapt its menu and expand globally, and explain which form of cultural diffusion (most likely relocation due to franchise) best exemplifies this phenomenon.
• Homogenization: The process of making things uniform or similar, often through diffusion, relating to cultural traits and the global spread of industries.

Unit 3

• High Fertility Rates: Factors contributing to high fertility rates in developing countries such as need for labor, social norms, lack of family planning access.
• Low Fertility Rates: Factors contributing to low fertility rates in developed countries such as economic implications, family planning access, desire for fewer children.
• Global Fertility Concerns: The negative impacts of declining fertility rates on economic and social trends.
• Migration & Fertility: How falling fertility rates impact global migration patterns.
• Economic Future Concerns: The potential effects of low fertility rates on economic growth and development in countries with falling birth rates.
• Population Demographics: Factors affecting population demographics (e.g., the impact of older or younger populations).
• Infant Mortality: How infant mortality is connected to fertility rates, relating to population trends and factors affecting health and child survival.
• Pronatalism & Antinatalism: Understand these social attitudes toward birth rates.
• One Child Policy: Analyze the impact (positive and negative) of the one child policy in China.
• Migration Factors: Understand factors explaining migration patterns (push and pull factors) and the role of remittances.
• Refugees/IDPs: Understand the definitions of refugees and internally displaced persons.
• Regional Refugee Crisis: Identify areas and countries experiencing high refugee and IDP flows.
• Syrian Refugee Crisis: Provide reasons behind the crisis and identify places Syrians sought refuge.

Unit 4

• Imperialism Motives: Examine the motivations behind European imperialism and colonialism.
• African Imperialism: Analyze the impact of European imperialism on the African continent.
• Case Studies (India & South Africa): Detailed examination of the effects of imperialism on specific regions.
• United Nations Formation: The reasons and purposes driving the creation of the UN.
• UN Activities: Detail the roles and functions of the UN.
• UN Successes/Failures: Evaluate the effectiveness of the UN.
• Apartheid in South Africa: Describe the apartheid system in South Africa, its nature, causes, and eventual demise.
• End of Apartheid: Summarize the events leading up the dismantling of the apartheid system in South Africa.

This quiz covers the fundamental concepts of map projections, including their strengths and weaknesses, and the essential elements found on maps. Additionally, it elaborates on absolute and relative locations, with practical exercises on identifying coordinates for major cities. Explore how John Snow contributed to the field of geography and statistics through his innovative methods.