Geography, Environmental Science, and Social Studies Topics Overview PDF

Geography, Environmental Science, and Social Studies Topics Overview 1. Canadian Shield, Great-Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands, and Appalachian Mountains Canadian Shield: A large, rugged area of ancient rock covering much of Canada. Great-Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands: Fertile, flat region...

Geography, Environmental Science, and Social Studies Topics Overview 1. Canadian Shield, Great-Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands, and Appalachian Mountains Canadian Shield: A large, rugged area of ancient rock covering much of Canada. Great-Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands: Fertile, flat region home to major cities like Toronto and Montreal. Appalachian Mountains: An older mountain range in eastern Canada. 2. Map of Canada – Direction and Key Locations Familiarize with the provinces (e.g., Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia) and major cities (e.g., Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal) on a map. Understand basic directions (North, South, East, West). 3. Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics Continental Drift: Continents slowly moving due to tectonic activity. Plate Tectonics: Earth’s plates moving and interacting. o Folding: Crust bending due to tectonic forces. o Subduction: One plate moving under another. o Divergence: Plates moving apart, creating new crust. 4. Weathering and Erosion Weathering: Breakdown of rocks through physical or chemical processes. Erosion: Movement of weathered material by wind, water, or ice. 5. Weather and Climate Weather: Short-term atmospheric conditions. Climate: Long-term patterns of weather in a region. 6. 6 Factors That Affect Climate Latitude Altitude Proximity to Oceans Ocean Currents Wind Patterns Topography 7. Human Causes of Climate Change Activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes that increase greenhouse gases and contribute to global warming. 8. Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Industry Primary: Extracting raw materials (e.g., mining, farming). Secondary: Manufacturing and processing (e.g., factories). Tertiary: Service industries (e.g., healthcare, retail). 9. Ethical Sourcing, Fast Fashion, and Race to the Bottom Ethical Sourcing: Ensuring products are produced responsibly (fair labor, environmental consideration). Fast Fashion: Rapid, cheap clothing production with questionable labor practices. Race to the Bottom: Competition to lower standards (e.g., labor laws) to reduce costs. 10. Consumerism and Globalization Consumerism: A societal focus on buying goods and services. Globalization: The spread of businesses and influence across the globe. 11. Oil Sands  Petroleum deposits, especially in Alberta, requiring special extraction methods like mining and in-situ techniques. 12. Fossil Fuels and Sedimentary Rock Fossil Fuels: Non-renewable resources like coal, oil, and natural gas. Sedimentary Rock: Rock formed by layers of sediment, often containing fossils. 13. Hydroelectricity Electricity generated using the power of flowing water (dams or turbines). 14. Renewable and Non-Renewable Resources Renewable: Resources that can regenerate naturally (e.g., solar, wind). Non-Renewable: Finite resources (e.g., fossil fuels, minerals). 15. Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy Renewable Energy: Energy from natural, replenishable sources (e.g., solar, wind, hydroelectric). Non-Renewable Energy: Energy from finite sources (e.g., coal, oil). 16. Urban Land Use How land in cities is utilized (e.g., residential, commercial, industrial, recreational). 17. Urban Sprawl and New Urbanism Urban Sprawl: Uncontrolled spread of cities into rural areas. New Urbanism: A planning approach for sustainable, walkable communities. 18. Urban Problems  Common issues in cities, such as overcrowding, pollution, traffic, and poverty. 19. Sustainability – Economic, Social, Environmental Economic Sustainability: Long-term financial health. Social Sustainability: Promoting equality and access. Environmental Sustainability: Protecting natural resources and ecosystems. 20. Ecological Footprint and Carbon Footprint Ecological Footprint: Measures human demand on Earth's ecosystems. Carbon Footprint: Measures carbon dioxide emissions from human activities. 21. Population Pyramids Graphs showing the age and gender distribution of a population, used to analyze demographic trends Types of forms 1.rapid growth (pointy top, wide base) 2.exspading (looks like a regular pyramids) 3.slow groth (thick roounded) 4.0 growth/decline (narrow base, wide middle, and narrow top) 22. Canada’s Aging Population Increasing proportion of elderly people in Canada due to lower birth rates and higher life expectancy. 23. Baby Boomers and Millennials Baby Boomers: People born between 1946-1964. Millennials: People born between 1981-1996. 24. Types of Immigrants – Economic, Family, Refugee  Economic Immigrants: Move for work/business opportunities. Family Immigrants: Move to join family members. Refugee Immigrants: Forced to leave their home country due to persecution or crisis. 25. Immigration and Emigration Immigration: Moving to a new country to live. Emigration: Leaving one’s home country to live elsewhere. Hey evan