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Geography Worksheets, Lesson Plans, Printables

Foster global awareness in your class with U.S. and world geography printables, lessons, and references. Teach students about oceans and landforms with science activities and mapping resources. There are plenty of crossword puzzles and quizzes to test your students' knowledge of the earth's surface. Map and geography skills may be used in many subject areas including language arts, math, and history. These social studies resources can enhance any curriculum for kindergarten through twelfth grade.

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Printables for Grades K-5

Build your students map reading and identification skills with these various activities that cover maps of the entire world. These visual representations of parts of the world will help your students discover without having to leave the classroom! These resources are geared toward grades K-5.

• U.S. Map with State Capitals
• Find the Continents and Oceans
• United States Map (Outline)
• Outline Map of Asia
• World Map (Black and White)
• Africa Mapping Activity
• Map of Southeast United States
• More Popular Geography Printables

Printables for Grades 6-8

Go deeper with your study with these printable maps of different parts of the world. Whether you are completing a comprehensive study of the United States or another country, or you just want to focus on a particular subsection, these worksheets will help students in the moment during your lessons as well as a resource to study for their quizzes as well.

• Geography Quiz: State Capitals
• Map of Midwest United States
• Map of Northeast United States

Printables for Grades 9-12

Use these resources for a general study of different countries or modify them to target a specific historical period or political movement that you want to focus on with your students. These maps can be a useful resource or study guide as students move toward learning more higher order concepts and retaining more historical information throughout the upper grades.

• Map of North America
• Political Map of Europe
• Geography Quiz: True or False

Lesson Plans

Use these comprehensive lesson plans to fully develop an individual, geographical concepts, or historical periods of time that you want to focus on with your students. Within each lesson, you will be guided on how to complete the lesson with students as well as provided different questions, discussions, or activities to help students deeply understand the topic under study.

• PowerPoint Postcards Presentation
• Latitude and Longitude
• Chart Columbus's Voyages
• Australia Poster
• Pilgrim Unit (7 lessons)
• What Are the Modern Olympic Games?
• Map Making, Floor Plans & Map Reading
• More Popular Geography Lesson Plans

Printable Geography Quizzes

Tired of making your own geography quizzes? Who says you have to? Review the different quizzes in this section to use as the perfect complement to your lessons and activities. You can use these quizzes as is or can modify them to better meet your teaching style or the needs of your classroom.

• Quiz: Southeast United States
• Quiz: Southwest U.S. State Capitals
• Quiz: The United States: West Region
• Quiz: Western U.S. State Capitals
• More Printable Geography Quizzes

Maps and Globes Resources

Use these printable map outlines or review the Practicing Map Skills activity to help your students learn about the different geographic features of various places around the world. These maps can be used again and again and are great resources to help student keep track of the constantly changing world.

• Practicing Map Skills
• Map of U.S. Regions
• Map Library
• More Popular Maps and Globes Resources

Geography Games & Puzzles

Need an interactive game to help reinforce your students' understanding of a geographical unit? This section is the one for you. Whether you want to teach students initial map skills by creating your own map of your classroom, or help them remember the different features that can be used when viewing a map, these printable games will make learning fun for your students.

• Find the State
• A Geography Wordsearch
• Magnificent Maps: Neighborhood Map
• Globe Wordsearch
• Name That Country
• Magnificent Maps: Classroom Map
• Magnificent Maps: Community Map
• More Geography Games & Puzzles

Technology Resources for Geography

Build your students inquiry, research, and discussion skills with these geographical technology resources. In this section, students will be responsible for investigating the world's wonders and reporting on their findings.

• Wonders of the World Questions
• Wonders of the World
• Researching Our National Parks
• Fantasy Vacation
• How Far Is It?
• More Technology Resources for Geography

U.S. Geography Resources

Use these printable maps to teach a comprehensive study of the geographical makeup of the United States. Students can keep these maps as study tools when looking back on a full year's study of the U.S. or just as a quick reference during a topic or concept.

• Map of Western United States
• Map of Southwest United States
• United States Maps Gallery
• Map Library of the United States
• More Popular U.S. Geography Resources

World Geography Resources

Use these printable maps to teach a comprehensive study of the geographical makeup of the the world. Students can keep these maps as study tools when looking back on a full year's study of the world. or just as a quick reference during a topic or concept.

• World Geography Glossary
• Longest Street in the World
• World Maps Gallery
• Sailing Around the World
• Mountains of the World Quiz
• More Popular World Geography Resources

Political Geography Resources

Help your students keep track of all the political affiliations during different historical periods with these resources. In this section, you can use printable maps, interactive books and slideshows, or just reinforce their understanding of geographical topic with various quizzes.

• Map Library of the World
• Maps & Activities Printables Slideshow
• Maps & Activities Printable Book (Grades 4-12)
• Continents of the World
• Capitals of the World Quiz
• Major Cities and Rivers in Russia
• Mason and Dixon's Line
• More Political Geography Resources

Looking to build your geographical resource library? This section can provide you a wealth of resources ranging from lesson plans, various charts and maps, or just some fun information or facts on the different parts of the world.

• Origin of U.S. State Names
• Oceans and Seas
• Just Where Was Columbus?
• Languages by Country
• Columbus's Voyages
• Fifty Fun Facts About the Fifty U.S. States
• State Capitals and Largest Cities for Each State
• More Popular Geography References

Geography Skill Builders

Uses these Skill Builder guides to help students learn research skills and discover fun facts about geography. Each guide divides into different activities according to your individual classrooms grade level so it can be a resource that you use for any classroom. It also is completed weekly so this be a great compliment to your daily lessons, review sessions, or even as homework activities for your students.

• Skill Builders: Geography Challenge Questions, Week 1
• Skill Builders: Geography Challenge Questions, Week 2
• Skill Builders: Geography Challenge Questions, Week 3
• Skill Builders: Geography Challenge Questions, Week 4
• Skill Builders: Geography Challenge Questions, Week 9
• Skill Builders: Geography Challenge Questions, Week 20
• Skill Builders: Geography Challenge Questions, Week 28
• More Geography Skill Builders

Geography Resources for History Class

Use these resources to help students learn about the geography from different historical periods or important events. In this section, you have access to different lesson plans, printable maps, interactive activities, and classroom guides for discussions. These resources can be kept as is or can be modified to be better for your individual teaching style or classroom needs.

• Mapping the War: World War II
• German Nazi Takeover: 1933-1944
• Countries Quiz
• Triangular Trade in the Atlantic Ocean
• More Popular Geography Resources for History Class

Earth Science & Geography Connected

Planning a cross-curricular study with your fellow teachers? Or just trying to help students understand how geography is formed? This section will provide you for a little bit of both! In this section, you have access to different comprehension resources that outline the causes and effects of natural disasters and how that has developed the geography from the past to today.

• Ocean Pollution
• What's the Solution to Ocean Pollution?
• Chart of the Water Cycle
• Time Zones Around the World
• Weather Words
• Plate Tectonics Test
• More Popular Geography Activities for Earth Science Class

Math & Geography Connected

Planning a cross-curricular study with the other teachers in various content areas? Or just trying to help students understand map reading and geography skills? This section will help you prepare for any objective or goal you have for your students. Use the different printable maps, lesson plans, or graphic organizers to build students comprehension and map-reading skills by focusing on topics such as time zones and latitude and longitude.

• Coordinate Grids (Gr. 3)
• Time Zones in the U.S.
• Making Choices: Decision Making (Gr. 6)
• Reading a Map
• Colorful World Map
• Map of the United States
• More Popular Geography Activities for Math Class

Language Arts & Geography Connected

Build your students reading comprehension and map reading skills with these different activities. In this section, students connect their understanding of different geographic features with their own previous knowledge and experiences. Each resource is a perfect complement to any part of your lesson, as a resource for students to use to remember key concepts, or as supplemental work to assess student understanding.

• Read the Map
• Geography Reading Warm-Up: Rainforests
• State Scavenger Hunt
• The Oceans of the World
• Matching Animal Habitats
• Mount Everest Timeline
• More Popular Language Arts Activities for Geography

Art Activities for Geography

Use these activities to add an artistic spin to learning geography. Students can create their own geographical tools, create cultural artifacts of individuals from a different country, or design different geographic maps of countries around the world. These activities can be used as is or modified to better suit the needs of students in your classroom.

• Compass Rose
• Maps and Globes Book
• Kente Cloth
• Dora the Explorer Map (English)
• A Bedroom Map
• More Art Activities for Geography

Earth Day Activities

Build your students understanding of this important day with different resources that highlights the importance of taking care of our Earth. In this section, students can review the different economic resources that are pivotal to human survival, the different ways we take care of resources, and much more!

• Geographical Highs, Lows, and Boundaries of the U.S.
• Science, Technology, and Society: Clean Machine
• National Park System of the United States
• Rivers of the United States
• Glaciers: Ice That Flows
• Economic Resources
• National Scenic Trails
• More Earth Day Teacher Resources

Wildlife Week Resources

Use these literature/teacher guides to review with students the different types of wildlife that live in various places around the world. These guides can compliment any content area and will help your students improve their reading comprehension and geography skills. Use them as is or adapt them to best fit your classroom.

• On the Far Side of the Mountain
• Kingfisher Knowledge Guide: Dangerous Creatures Teacher's Guide
• Columbus Day Activities

Use these lessons or activities in this section to help students learn about Christopher Columbus's voyage and exploration of America. These activities can be kept as is or modified to fit your individual teaching style or the needs of your students.

• More Columbus Day Teacher Resources

Native American Resources

Help students understand that studying geography means studying the individuals that live in those different regions as well. By reviewing the lives and culture of Native Americans, students can connect their geographical skills to deeper higher order thinking ones

• Native American Life on the Great Plains
• Native American Tribes of the Great Plains
• More American Indians & Native Americans - Teacher Resources

Voyages & Travels Resources

Use these different resources with your students to discuss the concepts of voyages and traveling. In this section are different visual maps, lesson plans, reading comprehension activities, and much more! These activities can be used in their current form or modified to better serve the needs of your classroom.

• First Hot-Air Balloon Flight
• Planning for the Voyage - Pilgrim Study Unit (Lesson 1 of 7)
• Historical Fiction Reading Warm-Up: The Christmas Gift
• Seeing the World Sub Kit (Grades 7-8)
• Peary, Henson, and the North Pole
• More Popular Voyages & Travel Resources

Ocean Resources

Need some inspiration for teaching your students about the Earth's oceans? Well look no further! Whether it's full comprehensive lesson plans, printable map activities, game worksheets, or resource guides for geographical features, this is the section for you. These activities are great as they are or can be adapted to the characteristics of your classroom.

• Earth's Oceans
• An Ocean Adventure Sub Kit (Grades 3-4)
• What Are Ocean Currents?
• Modeling Climates
• Length of the U.S. Coastline by State
• Word Search: The World's Oceans
• Crossing the Atlantic by Rowboat
• More Oceans Teacher Resources

National Geographic Education Blog

Bring the spirit of exploration to your classroom.

“A Field Trip Anywhere”: Try This MapMaker Project With Your Students

Educator Tama Nunnelley wrote this post.

If you could take your students on a field trip anywhere, where would you go? What kinds of things would you like them to see or learn on this quest? Maybe you would take them back to a historical time period or specific event so they could see it with their own eyes. Perhaps you would take them to a series of locations where they would interact with historical or current events. Well, you can do just that without ever leaving your classroom. How? With digital maps!

I often take my students to places in their own community, around the globe, or back in time by combining geographic skills with historical study. Geography isn’t just for geographers or geography classes. It plays an important part in each social studies class. Studying geography teaches young people a wide range of useful skills for the workforce, including critical thinking and problem solving. Some of the fastest-growing careers involve the use of geographic skills, including fluency with geographic information systems (GIS) .

One way I transport my students to different locations so they can use their own analytical skills is with National Geographic’s MapMaker . (Note: this project uses MapMaker Classic , which is free to educators alongside the newly revamped MapMaker .) MapMaker is designed for student practice with GIS. It does not require a lot of cartography skills to use and is a perfect tool to do cross-curricular activities and share maps as primary source materials.

To develop the attitudes, skills, and knowledge of a geographer while exploring their own world, each year my students undertake a semester-long project to create a road trip to a select part of the world based on their grade level. The project combines math, English language arts, science, and social studies. Geography and Community subject students are tasked with travel within our state. American History students can travel within the borders of the United States.  World History students have the entire globe at their disposal. I have done this project across multiple middle school grades and have adapted it for high schoolers and college first years. I believe it could be easily adjusted to all age ranges.

The first step in this process is to have students select three locations for travel by exploring in MapMaker. After choosing their locations, students plot each one on their digital maps; this involves selecting the pin they want to use for their location and placing it onto the map. They can navigate to their specific location by finding its latitude and longitude (click the bottom icon on the menu on the left-hand side of the screen for these settings) or zooming in or out using the “+” and “-” icons in the top left of the screen. Then, they select their pin of choice from the menu. They can select numbered markers or scroll down the menu for something more fun. Then, they can click on the correct location to add their pin.

Next, students use the mileage tool to see the distance between locations and create a budget for their trip. They are given a certain amount of money based on current prices and plan their travel around that total. They have to account for how many people they take with them and regular travel expenses like airfare, gasoline, hotels, and meals. They might also have to pay a fee to see the historical site on their itinerary. They select methods of travel and keep a spreadsheet of expenses. We use MapMaker to see where these locations are and use the mileage tool to determine distance. Students may adjust locations to better fit their budget after their calculations.

Students are also expected to tell us about their trip using a travel journal. This is placed inside their maps. Notice the editing tool under the text tool on the left side. Students can click on that then on one of their markers, then they can open the “Link” tab to insert information about the location. They can use the text tool to name that location as well by clicking on it and dragging the box to the desired location of the label.

Since this is a cross-curricular project, students are asked to include physical features and climate for each plotted stop on their journey. They give a weather forecast for each stop based on research into average seasonal weather in that place. Students have an easy way of depicting this on their maps thanks to GIS. Students select “Add Layer,” then use the layer category “Climate and Weather” to select appropriate displays. Normally, students will add “Precipitation and Rainfall,” “Climate Zones,” and “Surface Air Temperature” for either winter or summer, depending on their travel dates.

All of these are now visible layers on the map that can be edited for different levels of visibility. When students share these maps with their peers, they can manipulate the transparency level to show each required element.

Students also now have data populated in their legend that can be used in their presentation or for a more advanced project later.

If they would like, students can also change the base map as well by selecting the “Base Maps” tab and choosing the imagery to display.

Students must also locate a historical or important geographic feature of each location to include in their journal. They enter all information in the description box found under the editing/formatting tool and the “Link” tab. Students can fill in everything under Link to reflect information about the pinned location. I ask students to share here their general description of the location’s physical and human features, their weather forecast, and information about places of historical or geographic importance. My favorite part is that students can also add pictures and video to their travel journal. Be sure they remember to click “Save” beside the editing tool so that MapMaker populates their work.

The final piece of the project is for students to present their findings to the class or a small group of their peers while other students conduct mini-inquiries into these locations. The final product is better than a typical slide deck display because it is interactive and provides students an opportunity to engage in analysis using GIS and researched data.

I have also used MapMaker to track historical events. Students plot locations of battles, connections to U.S. history in our state, the building of the transcontinental railroad, and Alexander the Great’s wide-ranging conquests. Then, we add layers while studying GIS principles. Students add physical and cultural features to better understand the event or person they are studying.

I have also brought this down to the community level and had students map the development of our community from past to present. They trace historical events and create a roadmap for potential future development based on land use. We can also go back and reuse the data already collected on these maps to look at a location’s climate and weather as we study a different event that happened there.

The great news is that MapMaker was recently updated and features some incredible new tools students can use for exploration. Using MapMaker in the classroom is an easy lift to allow students to glimpse the tools of a geographer and begin to use them on their own. Teachers do not have to be fluent in mapmaking or technology to use MapMaker. In addition, using MapMaker provides an opportunity to talk about the role of cartographers and potential careers involving these skills.

Explore the MapMaker Launch Guide here , and visit National Geographic’s Resource Library for more resources to help you get the most out of the tool.

When they are creating or editing online maps, students are practicing real-world skills they will use in the future. They do not need to know every date in my history book, but they do need the skills that they can gain by combining history and geography. I feel like I make a difference when I do these activities and bring in project-based learning to my classroom. Composed of colors, lines, and labels, a map is one of the most effective mediums for capturing spatial relationships. Studied closely, they can be used to interpret the past, define the present, foretell the future, and take your students around the world.

National Geographic Education is celebrating Geography Awareness Week all week long on the Education Blog , on Tw i tter , and on Facebook . Check in regularly to hear from educators about their innovative and inspiring approaches to teaching geography, and learn how National Geographic tools and resources can help you empower your students to think geographically.

Tama Nunnelley is a social studies instructor from Alabama. She is a National Geographic Certified Educator and trainer, was a 2018 Grosvenor Teacher Fellow, and was recognized in 2015 by the National Council for Geographic Education as a distinguished teacher. She serves as chair of the Geography Community of the National Council for the Social Studies and is an adjunct in geography at the University of North Alabama. She is always eager to talk to fellow educators and help them brainstorm new ideas. She can be reached at [email protected] .

Featured image by Rebecca Hale

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2 thoughts on “ “A Field Trip Anywhere”: Try This MapMaker Project With Your Students ”

Tama, I found this usage of National Geographic’s MapMaker to be quite intriguing and something that I could see myself using in my future classroom. I think it’s important to help students have a spatial awareness of historical events, and tracking different movements of people would provide great context to the students. I also think that offering them some autonomy to map out their own journey would be a great way to get student engagement while working on a geography unit. This would help them understand the specific routes necessary to take, the terrain of the region, and other what other towns/cities they may have to pass through along the way. I was curious though, what grades have you seen activities with MapMaker be particularly fruitful for student learning?

Hi Tama – I am a preservice teacher and really enjoyed reading about the projects you have given students using MapMaker. I’m curious what topics they have chosen and how they were able to use maps to support their work. I’m also curious about how long it takes students to become proficient with MapMaker. I am thinking of doing a sample project for my future world history students on the Silk Road. Does MapMaker have base maps showing the historic Sil Road routes that I could superimpose on contemporary borders? Is there a way to explore the old routes and compare with current rail and road networks? Thanks much for introducing such an interesting resource! Mark

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U.S. Geography Worksheets

Customize u.s. geography worksheets.

If you're assigning this to your students, copy the worksheet to your account and save. When creating an assignment, just select it as a template!

Elevate Your Geography Lessons with Interactive US Geography Worksheets

Are you looking to make your lessons more captivating and interactive for students? Look no further! Storyboard That offers a comprehensive collection of US geography worksheets and world geography worksheets that will empower teachers like you to create visually compelling and engaging resources for all countries. From exploring the seven continents templates to mastering state capitals, our interactive tools and labeled maps will take your students on an exciting journey of learning and discovery.

• Interactive Geography Worksheets: Our interactive geography worksheets are carefully crafted to make learning a fun and immersive experience for students. Whether it's identifying state names on a map, practicing latitude and longitude, or learning about major cities, these dynamic resources provide an excellent platform to reinforce knowledge and promote critical thinking.
• Mastering US State Capitals: With a geography of the United States worksheet, students can master US fifty state capitals in an engaging and memorable way. Our visually appealing materials help students retain information better while enjoying the learning process.
• Labeled Maps for Easy Understanding: Navigating through geography concepts becomes a breeze with our labeled maps, including the map of the USA worksheet. These visual aids enable students to grasp the geographical layout of the US effortlessly, enhancing their overall understanding of the subject. Our map of USA worksheet provides a detailed and clear depiction of state names, major cities, and state capitals, making it a valuable resource for reinforcing knowledge.
• Fun and Informative US Geography Quiz: Excite your students with a US geography quiz using our ready-to-use templates. With Storyboard That, you can create custom quizzes that challenge and test their knowledge while keeping them motivated and interested.
• Exploring the Seven Continents: Our worksheets not only cover specific US states but also provide opportunities for students to explore the broader world. Journey with your students through the seven continents, discovering diverse cultures and geographical features along the way.
• Enhance Directional Skills: Developing directional skills is crucial in geography, and Storyboard That's interactive tools are here to help. Our platform allows you to design activities that encourage students to read and interpret maps, honing their directional abilities. Through engaging exercises on our geography worksheets, students will learn to navigate cardinal directions, understand map legends, and follow routes with confidence.
• Customizable and Time-Saving Resources: Save valuable time and effort with our customizable resources. Tailor your printable us maps for kids to meet your specific teaching goals and classroom needs, ensuring a seamless integration into your lessons.

Classroom Activities Using Our United States Geography Worksheets

At Storyboard That, we offer a diverse array of US geography worksheets that empower teachers to create captivating classroom activities. Our visually compelling materials and activity pages make learning about the United States an enjoyable journey of exploration and discovery for students.

From labeling state capitals to planning virtual road trips, our engaging classroom activities using US geography worksheets spark curiosity, promote critical thinking, and deepen students' understanding of the nation's diverse landscapes, cities, and regions.

• Create a State Capital Scavenger Hunt: Divide your students into small groups and provide them with our USA map worksheets for kids. Instruct them to identify and label the state capitals on the map. Once they have completed the task, organize a fun scavenger hunt, where each group must locate the state capitals within the classroom or school premises. This activity enhances directional skills and fosters teamwork while reinforcing their knowledge of state capitals.
• Explore US Landforms with Visual Storytelling: Encourage creativity and critical thinking by assigning students the task of creating visual stories using our blank map of the United States. Instruct them to use different icons and symbols to represent various landforms such as mountains, rivers, and lakes. Students can then present their visual stories to the class, explaining the geographical significance of each landform.
• Discover US Regions through Comprehension Passages: Introduce students to the diversity of US regions with our comprehension passages. Assign each student a specific region to read about and research further. After reading the passages, facilitate a classroom discussion where students share interesting facts and unique features about their assigned regions. This activity promotes in-depth learning and fosters a deeper appreciation for the country's cultural and geographical diversity.
• Interactive City Mapping Activity: Using our map worksheets, have students identify major cities in different states of the United States. Next, challenge them to plan a virtual road trip, connecting the cities they've identified. Students can use our activity pages to research and note down interesting landmarks or attractions in each city. This interactive activity not only reinforces their knowledge of US cities but also sparks curiosity about different travel destinations.
• Rivers and Mountains Matching Game: Print out our labeled maps of the United States and cut out the names of rivers and mountains separately. Mix them up and have students match the correct names to their corresponding locations on the map. This interactive game improves geographical recall and familiarizes students with the significant rivers and mountain ranges in the US.

With Storyboard That's free geography worksheets, your classroom activities come alive with interactive and engaging learning experiences. From scavenger hunts to visual storytelling, these activities help kids actively explore the geographical diversity of the United States while developing essential skills in comprehension, mapping, and research. Transform your geography lessons into dynamic and captivating experiences, igniting a lifelong love for learning about the incredible country students call home.

As you explore the wealth of resources available on Storyboard That, don't miss our versatile worksheet templates that allow you to customize activities tailored to your unique teaching goals. Additionally, for immersive and interactive learning experiences, check out our world geography projects that will inspire your students to delve deeper into global cultures and geography.

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Choose one of the premade templates.

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Frequently Asked Questions About U.S. Geography Worksheets

What are us geography worksheets.

They are educational resources that focus on teaching students about the geographical features, regions, and major cities of the United States. These worksheets come in various formats, such as labeled maps of the fifty states, blank maps, and comprehension passages, providing free printable activities to reinforce students' understanding.

How can I use geography worksheets in my classroom?

These worksheets can be used in a variety of ways to enhance classroom learning. Teachers can incorporate them into lessons as interactive activities, individual assignments, or group projects. From labeling capital cities on blank maps to exploring US regions through comprehension passages, these worksheets cater to different learning styles.

How do blank maps of the United States benefit students?

Blank maps of the United States are valuable resources that encourage students to actively engage with the geography of America. By labeling states, capital and major cities, and geographical features on these maps, students develop important map-reading skills and gain a better understanding of the spatial layout of the country.

Are there free geography worksheets available?

Yes, Storyboard That offers free geography worksheets that teachers can access and utilize in their classrooms. These free resources provide an excellent opportunity to explore the effectiveness of our educational materials and integrate them seamlessly as you teach.

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Creative Assignments: Map and Timeline Exercises

by Thomas Keith | May 7, 2019 | Instructional design , Services

This post is an installment in an ongoing series that explores possibilities for creative classroom assignments.  We will showcase courses that have successfully employed creative assignments, and introduce tools and strategies that can help your students master material more fully and deeply, along with helping you to assess their knowledge and skills.

Previous installment: Podcasting

Why use creative assignments in the classroom?

Creative assignments fall into two broad categories: formative and summative.  Formative tools, such as collaborative mind mapping, allow students to explore ideas and concepts, systematize their thinking, and make progress toward mastery of new concepts.  Meanwhile, summative assignments can offer students the chance to create a lasting artifact that they can share with others, giving them a sense of meaningful accomplishment.  Such assignments are often both high- and low-stakes; they make it easy to hold students accountable for content mastery without adding large amounts of extra work.  Whether plotting a map, constructing a timeline, recording a podcast, or making a video, your students will be able to combine traditional academic research with practice in flexible, innovative thinking.

Those students who are less comfortable with the constraints of academic writing may find the challenge of creative assignments to be uniquely stimulating.   In addition, thanks to the many software tools now available for pedagogical use, your students can collaborate to create attractive, compelling projects, even when they are not in the same physical space.  In the process, they will acquire technological skills and competencies that are of great value in today’s wired world.

Map Exercises

Maps reach far beyond geography.  The movement of people, things, and ideas plays a role in countless intellectual disciplines.  As an easily understandable visual representation of such movement, maps can allow you to detect relationships and trends that purely abstract data might conceal.

In the past, the use of maps in the classroom has largely been limited to show-and-tell, but digital mapping tools have brought about a pedagogical revolution.  Students can make their own maps, “pin” information such as text captions or audio clips to locations on their maps, and, with certain tools, even track movement through space.

A number of easy-to-use tools for digital map-making are readily available.  Google’s GSuite includes My Maps, a powerful, intuitive app that allows you to select from multiple types of underlying map (political, satellite, terrain, etc.) and plot points or lines/routes.  You can make your map interactive by adding notes with text, images, video, or external links.  You can also create a Geo chart within Google Spreadsheets; simply open your spreadsheet and choose Insert -> Chart, then choose “Geo chart” or “Geo chart with markers” under Chart Type.  Geo charts are valuable for converting numerical data into an easily comprehensible geographical picture.  You can also create three-dimensional, immersive tours using Google’s Tour Creator .

A map of notable Civil War battles, created with Google Maps

Faculty and instructors at many major universities have had success with map assignments in the classroom.  Prof. Julia Gossard, now at Utah State University, introduced a map exercise into her course “Global Early Modern Europe” at the University of Texas at Austin to help her students see how early modern Europe interacted with the peoples and nations beyond the borders of the continent.  Not only did her students learn, through the process of mapping, some of the basic truths of early modern life – e.g. the great distances and lengthy times involved in voyages by sea – but the collaborative process of building a map and tracing connections brought the subject to life in a way that her students found enjoyable and fascinating.

Here at the University of Chicago, faculty members Niall Atkinson and Patch Crowley, both in the Department of Art History, have used digital maps in their courses to help their students contextualize art and architecture within their physical/spatial environment.  Prof. Atkinson was able to show his students the path that the marble used in Michelangelo’s sculptures took from the quarry to the sculptor’s studio, emphasizing the physical process of sculptural production and the costs and labor involved. His students also built a collaborative map of Renaissance architecture.  Prof. Crowley used images from Google Earth to introduce classroom discussion on how we use and interpret images, paying particular attention to the ways in which electronic media filter our perceptions and affect our viewing process.

Prof. Niall Atkinson discusses his use of mapping and graphical visualization tools in art history courses.

Further Resources: Maps

• Ditch That Textbook offers creative ideas for exercises with Google’s My Maps app.
• See also Richard Byrne’s “How to Use Google’s My Maps in Your Classroom” .

Timeline Exercises

Just as map exercises allow students to contextualize how people and goods move within space, so timeline exercises allow them to contextualize movement and change over time.  Unlike a paper timeline with its static string of dates, a digital timeline allows for interactivity: students can “walk” through a timeline and see how events in different parts of the world or different arenas of thought overlapped, or view media attached to dates (still images, audio, video) to engage with history in a rich way and learn content through multiple modes.

Many tools for digital timeline creation are available.  TimelineJS , from Northwestern University’s KnightLab, allows you to set up a basic timeline with nothing more than a Google Spreadsheet, add media from popular sites (e.g. Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, or Vimeo), and embed the code for your timeline in a webpage or blog to display it to the world.  TikiToki , another Web-based software platform, offers options such as banded timelines (multiple timelines displayed in parallel, making comparison easy) and 3D timelines.   As a simpler, quicker option, you can also create an annotated timeline as a chart type using LucidChart’s timeline template.  Because Google Suite is engineered to make collaboration easy, this option works well for group assignments.

Timeline exercises are increasingly being used in higher education in creative and stimulating ways.  In her “Foundations of Western Civilization” course at Utah State University, Prof. Julia Gossard has her students create a timeline of the history of food , using TimelineJS, so they can understand the vital role that agriculture and fluctuating food supplies have played in the course of human history.  Here at the University of Chicago, the students in Christopher Dunlap’s Spring 2016 LACS course “Sciences as Solutions to Latin American Challenges, 1500-2000” used TimelineJS in conjunction with the University’s blogging platform, Voices, to build an interactive, multimedia timeline of the history of science and technology in Latin America (site requires CNetID and password to view).

Further Resources: Timelines

• Vanderbilt’s Center for Teaching offers valuable advice on how to craft effective timeline assignments.
• For practical insights into what makes timeline assignments successful, see also  Derek Bruff’s “Timelines, Ed Tech, and Thin Slices of Student Learning”.

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1.1 Geography Basics

Learning objectives.

• Understand the focus of geography and the two main branches of the discipline.
• Learn about the tools geographers use to study the earth’s surface.
• Summarize the grid system of latitude and longitude and how it relates to seasons and time zones.
• Distinguish between the different types of regional distinctions recognized in geography.
• Understand the spatial nature of geography and how each place or region is examined, analyzed, and compared with other places or regions.
• Determine the basic geographic realms and their locations.

What Is Geography?

Geography is the spatial study of the earth’s surface (from the Greek geo , which means “Earth,” and graphein , which means “to write”). Geographers study the earth’s physical characteristics, its inhabitants and cultures, phenomena such as climate, and the earth’s place within the universe. Geography examines the spatial relationships between all physical and cultural phenomena in the world. Geographers also look at how the earth, its climate, and its landscapes are changing due to cultural intervention.

The first known use of the word geography was by Eratosthenes of Cyrene (modern-day Libya in North Africa), an early Greek scholar who lived between 276 and 194 BCE. He devised one of the first systems of longitude and latitude and calculated the earth’s circumference. Additionally, he created one of the first maps of the world based on the available knowledge of the time. Around the same time, many ancient cultures in China, southern Asia, Polynesia, and the Arabian Peninsula also developed maps and navigation systems used in geography and cartography.

The discipline of geography can be broken down into two main areas of focus: physical geography and human geography . These two main areas are similar in that they both use a spatial perspective, and they both include the study of place and the comparison of one place with another.

Physical geography is the spatial study of natural phenomena that make up the environment, such as rivers, mountains, landforms, weather, climate, soils, plants, and any other physical aspects of the earth’s surface. Physical geography focuses on geography as a form of earth science. It tends to emphasize the main physical parts of the earth—the lithosphere (surface layer), the atmosphere (air), the hydrosphere (water), and the biosphere (living organisms)—and the relationships between these parts.

The major forms of study within physical geography include the following:

• Geomorphology (the study of the earth’s surface features)
• Glaciology (the study of glaciers)
• Coastal geography (the study of the coastal regions)
• Climatology (the study of climates and climate change)
• Biogeography (the study of the geographic patterns of species distribution)

Some physical geographers study the earth’s place in the solar system. Others are environmental geographers, part of an emerging field that studies the spatial aspects and cultural perceptions of the natural environment. Environmental geography requires an understanding of both physical and human geography, as well as an understanding of how humans conceptualize their environment and the physical landscape.

Physical landscape is the term used to describe the natural terrain at any one place on the planet. The natural forces of erosion, weather, tectonic plate action, and water have formed the earth’s physical features. Many US state and national parks attempt to preserve unique physical landscapes for the public to enjoy, such as Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon.

Human geography is the study of human activity and its relationship to the earth’s surface. Human geographers examine the spatial distribution of human populations, religions, languages, ethnicities, political systems, economics, urban dynamics, and other components of human activity. They study patterns of interaction between human cultures and various environments and focus on the causes and consequences of human settlement and distribution over the landscape. While the economic and cultural aspects of humanity are primary focuses of human geography, these aspects cannot be understood without describing the landscape on which economic and cultural activities take place.

The cultural landscape is the term used to describe those parts of the earth’s surface that have been altered or created by humans. For example, the urban cultural landscape of a city may include buildings, streets, signs, parking lots, or vehicles, while the rural cultural landscape may include fields, orchards, fences, barns, or farmsteads. Cultural forces unique to a given place—such as religion, language, ethnicity, customs, or heritage—influence the cultural landscape of that place at a given time. The colors, sizes, and shapes of the cultural landscape usually symbolize some level of significance regarding societal norms. Spatial dynamics assist in identifying and evaluating cultural differences between places.

Traditionally, the field of cartography , or map making, has been a vital discipline for geographers. While cartography continues to be an extremely important part of geography, geographers also look at spatial (space) and temporal (time) relationships between many types of data, including physical landscape types, economies, and human activity. Geography also examines the relationships between and the processes of humans and their physical and cultural environments. Because maps are powerful graphic tools that allow us to illustrate relationships and processes at work in the world, cartography and geographic information systems have become important in modern sciences. Maps are the most common method of illustrating different spatial qualities, and geographers create and use maps to communicate spatial data about the earth’s surface.

Geospatial techniques are tools used by geographers to illustrate, manage, and manipulate spatial data. Cartography is the art and science of making maps, which illustrate data in a spatial form and are invaluable in understanding what is going on at a given place at a given time.

Making maps and verifying a location have become more exact with the development of the global positioning system (GPS) . A GPS unit can receive signals from orbiting satellites and calculate an exact location in latitude and longitude, which is helpful for determining where one is located on the earth or for verifying a point on a map. GPS units are standard equipment for many transportation systems and have found their way into products such as cell phones, handheld computers, fish finders, and other mobile equipment. GPS technology is widely implemented in the transport of people, goods, and services around the world.

Remote sensing technology acquires data about the earth’s surface through aerial photographs taken from airplanes or images created from satellites orbiting the earth. Remotely sensed images allow geographers to identify, understand, or explain a particular landscape or determine the land use of a place. These images can serve as important components in the cartographic (map-making) process. These technologies provide the means to examine and analyze changes on the earth’s surface caused by natural or human forces. Google Earth is an excellent example of a computer tool that illustrates remotely sensed images of locations on the earth.

Figure 1.1 Low Elevation Air Photo of Cultural Landscape in Morehead, Kentucky

Photo by R. Berglee – CC BY-NC-SA.

Geographic information science (GIS) , often referred to as geographic information systems, uses a computer program to assimilate and manage many layers of map data, which then provide specific information about a given place. GIS data are usually in digital form and arranged in layers. The GIS computer program can sort or analyze layers of data to illustrate a specific feature or activity. GIS programs are used in a wide range of applications, from determining the habitat range of a particular species of bird to mapping the hometowns of university students.

Figure 1.2 Illustration of Layers in a GIS Process

GIS specialists often create and analyze geographical information for government agencies or private businesses. They use computer programs to take raw data to develop the information these organizations need for making vital decisions. For example, in business applications, GIS can be used to determine a favorable location for a retail store based on the analysis of spatial data layers such as population distribution, highway or street arrangements, and the locations of similar stores or competitive establishments. GIS can integrate a number of maps into one to help analysts understand a place in relation to their own specific needs.

GIS also focuses on storing information about the earth (both cultural and natural) in computer databases that can be retrieved and displayed in the form of specialized maps for specific purposes or analyses. GIS specialists require knowledge about computer and database systems. Over the last two decades, GIS has revolutionized the field of cartography: nearly all cartography is now done with the assistance of GIS software. Additionally, analysis of various cultural and natural phenomena through the use of GIS software and specialized maps is an important part of urban planning and other social and physical sciences. GIS can also refer to techniques used to represent, analyze, and predict spatial relationships between different phenomena.

Geography is a much broader field than many people realize. Most people think of area studies as the whole of geography. In reality, geography is the study of the earth, including how human activity has changed it. Geography involves studies that are much broader than simply understanding the shape of the earth’s landforms. Physical geography involves all the planet’s physical systems. Human geography incorporates studies of human culture, spatial relationships, interactions between humans and the environment, and many other areas of research that involve the different subspecialties of geography. Students interested in a career in geography would be well served to learn geospatial techniques and gain skills and experience in GIS and remote sensing, as they are the areas within geography where employment opportunities have grown the most over the past few decades.

The Earth and Graticule Location

When identifying a region or location on the earth, the first step is to understand its relative and absolute locations. Relative location is the location on the earth’s surface with reference to other places, taking into consideration features such as transportation access or terrain. Relative location helps one compare the advantages of one location with those of another. Absolute location , on the other hand, refers to an exact point on the earth’s surface without regard to how that point is related to any other place. Absolute location is vital to the cartographic process and to human activities that require an agreed-upon method of identifying a place or point.

Just as you were taught in geometry that there are 360 degrees in a circle or a sphere, the earth also has 360 degrees, and they are measured using a grid pattern called the graticule . Lines of latitude and longitude allow any absolute location on the earth to have an identifiable address of degrees north or south and east or west, which allows geographers to accurately locate, measure, and study spatial activity.

Geographers and cartographers organize locations on the earth using a series of imaginary lines that encircle the globe. The two primary lines are the equator and the prime meridian. From these lines, the systems of longitude and latitude are formed, allowing you to locate yourself anywhere on the planet. The line is the longest when you travel along in an east-west direction. At the equator, the sun is directly overhead at noon on the two equinoxes, which occur in March and September.

Figure 1.3 Basic Lines of Longitude and Latitude

Parallels or Lines of Latitude

Figure 1.4 Noted Lines of Latitude

The equator is the largest circle of latitude on Earth. The equator divides the earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and is called 0 degrees latitude. The other lines of latitude are numbered from 0 to 90 degrees going toward each of the poles. The lines north of the equator toward the North Pole are north latitude, and each of the numbers is followed by the letter “N.” The lines south of the equator toward the South Pole are south latitude, and each of the numbers is followed by the letter “S.” The equator (0 latitude) is the only line of latitude without any letter following the number. Notice that all lines of latitude are parallel to the equator (they are often called parallels) and that the North Pole equals 90 degrees N and the South Pole equals 90 degrees S. Noted parallels include both the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, which are 23.5 degrees from the equator. At 66.5 degrees from the equator are the Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle near the North and South Pole, respectively.

Meridians or Lines of Longitude

The prime meridian sits at 0 degrees longitude and divides the earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. The prime meridian is defined as an imaginary line that runs through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, a suburb of London. The Eastern Hemisphere includes the continents of Europe, Asia, and Australia, while the Western Hemisphere includes North and South America. All meridians (lines of longitude) east of the prime meridian (0 and 180) are numbered from 1 to 180 degrees east (E); the lines west of the prime meridian (0 and 180) are numbered from 1 to 180 degrees west (W). The 0 and 180 lines do not have a letter attached to them. The meridian at 180 degrees is called the International Date Line . The International Date Line (180 degrees longitude) is opposite the prime meridian and indicates the start of each day (Monday, Tuesday, etc.). Each day officially starts at 12:01 a.m., at the International Date Line. Do not confuse the International Date Line with the prime meridian (0 longitude). The actual International Date Line does not follow the 180-degree meridian exactly. A number of alterations have been made to the International Date Line to accommodate political agreements to include an island or country on one side of the line or another.

Climate and Latitude

The earth is tilted on its axis 23.5 degrees. As it rotates around the sun, the tilt of the earth’s axis provides different climatic seasons because of the variations in the angle of direct sunlight on the planet. Places receiving more direct sunlight experience a warmer climate. Elsewhere, the increased angle of incoming solar radiation near the earth’s poles results in more reflected sunlight and thus a cooler climate. The Northern Hemisphere experiences winter when sunlight is reflected off the earth’s surface and less of the sun’s energy is absorbed because of a sharper angle from the sun.

The Tropic of Cancer is the parallel at 23.5 degrees north of the equator, which is the most northerly place on Earth, receiving direct sunlight during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer. Remember that the earth is tilted 23.5 degrees, which accounts for seasonal variations in climate. The Tropic of Capricorn is the parallel at 23.5 degrees south of the equator and is the most southerly location on Earth, receiving direct sunlight during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer.

The tropics (Cancer and Capricorn) are the two imaginary lines directly above which the sun shines on the two solstices , which occur on or near June 20 or 21 (summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere) and December 21 or 22 (winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere). The sun is directly above the Tropic of Cancer at noon on June 20 or 21, marking the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of winter in the Southern Hemisphere. The sun is directly above the Tropic of Capricorn at noon on December 21 or 22, marking the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of summer in the Southern Hemisphere. Solstices are the extreme ends of the seasons, when the line of direct sunlight is either the farthest north or the farthest south that it ever goes. The region between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn is known as the tropics. This area does not experience dramatic seasonal changes because the amount of direct sunlight received does not vary widely. The higher latitudes (north of the Tropic of Cancer and south of the Tropic of Capricorn) experience significant seasonal variation in climate.

Figure 1.5 Road Sign South of Dakhla, Western Sahara (Claimed by Morocco), Marking the Tropic of Cancer

This sign was placed in this desert location by the Budapest-Bamako rally participants. The non-English portion is in Hungarian because of the European participants in the race.

Wikimedia Commons – public domain.

The Arctic Circle is a line of latitude at 66.5 degrees north. It is the farthest point north that receives sunlight during its winter season (90 N − 23.5 = 66.5 N). During winter, the North Pole is away from the sun and does not receive much sunlight. At times, it is dark for most of the twenty-four-hour day. During the Northern Hemisphere’s summer, the North Pole faces more toward the sun and may receive sunlight for longer portions of the twenty-four-hour day. The Antarctic Circle is the corresponding line of latitude at 66.5 degrees south. It is the farthest location south that receives sunlight during the winter season in the Southern Hemisphere (90 S − 23.5 = 66.5 S). When it is winter in the north, it is summer in the south.

The Arctic and Antarctic Circles mark the extremities (southern and northern, respectively) of the polar day (twenty-four-hour sunlit day) and the polar night (twenty-four-hour sunless night). North of the Arctic Circle, the sun is above the horizon for twenty-four continuous hours at least once per year and below the horizon for twenty-four continuous hours at least once per year. This is true also near the Antarctic Circle, but it occurs south of the Antarctic Circle, toward the South Pole. Equinoxes , when the line of direct sunlight hits the equator and days and nights are of equal length, occur in the spring and fall on or around March 20 or 21 and September 22 or 23.

Figure 1.6 Graphic of the Four Seasons

Universal Time (UT), Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), or Zulu Time (Z): all four terms can be defined as local time at 0 degrees longitude, which is the prime meridian (location of Greenwich, England). This is the same time under which many military operations, international radio broadcasts, and air traffic control systems operate worldwide. UTC is set in zero- to twenty-four-hour time periods, as opposed to two twelve-hour time periods (a.m. and p.m.). The designations of a.m. and p.m. are relative to the central meridian: a.m. refers to ante meridiem , or “before noon,” and p.m. refers to post meridiem , or “after noon.” UT, UTC, GMT, and Z all refer to the same twenty-four-hour time system that assists in unifying a common time in regard to global operations. For example, all air flights use the twenty-four-hour time system so the pilots can coordinate flights across time zones and around the world.

The earth rotates on its axis once every twenty-four hours at the rate of 15 degrees per hour (15 × 24 = 360). Time zones are established roughly every 15 degrees longitude so that local times correspond to similar hours of day and night. With this system, the sun is generally overhead at noon in every time zone that follows the 15-degree-wide system. The continental United States has four main time zones (see Table 1.1 “Four Main Time Zones in the Continental United States and Their Central Meridians” and Figure 1.7 “Major Time Zones of the World” ).

Table 1.1 Four Main Time Zones in the Continental United States and Their Central Meridians

Figure 1.7 Major Time Zones of the World

The twenty-four times zones are based on the prime meridian in regard to Universal Coordinated Time (UTC), Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), or Zulu Time (Z), which all operate on the twenty-four-hour time clock. Local time zones are either plus or minus determined by the distance from the prime meridian.

Figure 1.8 Diagram Illustrating the Width of a Time Zone

In this diagram, 75 W is the central meridian for the eastern standard time zone in the United States.

The eastern standard time zone is five hours earlier than the time at the prime meridian (UTC) because it is about 75 degrees west of 0 degrees (5 × 15 = 75). For example, if it is noon in London, then it is 7 a.m. in New York. If it is 1 p.m. in New York, it is 10 a.m. in San Francisco, which is three times zones to the west. Since there are twenty-four hours in a day, there are twenty-four time zones on Earth. Each time zone is 15 degrees wide.

A problem with the 15-degree time zones is that the zones do not necessarily follow state, regional, or local boundaries. The result is that time zones are seldom exactly 15 degrees wide and usually have varied boundary lines. In the United States, the boundaries between the different time zones are inconsistent with the lines of longitude; in some cases, time zones zigzag to follow state lines or to keep cities within a single time zone. Other countries address the problem differently. China, for example, is as large in land area as the United States yet operates on only one time zone for the entire country.

Regions in Geography

A region is a basic unit of study in geography—a unit of space characterized by a feature such as a common government, language, political situation, or landform. A region can be a formal country governed by political boundaries, such as France or Canada; a region can be defined by a landform, such as the drainage basin of all the water that flows into the Mississippi River; and a region can even be defined by the area served by a shopping mall. Cultural regions can be defined by similarities in human activities, traditions, or cultural attributes. Geographers use the regional unit to map features of particular interest, and data can be compared between regions to help understand trends, identify patterns, or assist in explaining a particular phenomenon.

Regions are traditionally defined by internal characteristics that provide a sense of place. Their boundaries vary with the type of region, whether it is formal, functional, or vernacular; each type has its own meaning and defined purpose. A formal region has a governmental, administrative, or political boundary and can have political as well as geographic boundaries that are not open to dispute or debate. Formal boundaries can separate states, provinces, or countries from one another. Physical regions can be included within formal boundaries, such as the Rocky Mountains or New England. An official boundary, such as the boundary of a national park, can be considered a formal boundary. School districts, cities, and county governments have formal boundaries.

Natural physical geographic features have a huge influence on where political boundaries of formal regions are set. If you look at a world map, you will recognize that many political boundaries are natural features, such as rivers, mountain ranges, and large lakes. For example, between the United States and Mexico, the Rio Grande makes up a portion of the border. Likewise, between Canada and the United States, a major part of the eastern border is along the Saint Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes. Alpine mountain ranges in Europe create borders, such as the boundary between Switzerland and Italy.

While geographic features can serve as convenient formal borders, political disputes will often flare up in adjacent areas, particularly if valuable natural or cultural resources are found within the geographic features. Oil drilling near the coast of a sovereign country, for example, can cause a dispute between countries about which one has dominion over the oil resources. The exploitation of offshore fisheries can also be disputed. A Neolithic mummy of a man who died in 3300 BCE caused tension between Italy and Switzerland: the body was originally taken to Innsbruck, Switzerland, but when it was determined that the body was found about 90 meters (180 feet) inside the border of Italy, Italian officials laid claim to the body.

Functional regions have boundaries related to a practical function within a given area. When the function of an area ends, the functional region ends and its boundaries cease to exist. For example, a functional region can be defined by a newspaper service or delivery area. If the newspaper goes bankrupt, the functional region no longer exists. Church parishes, shopping malls, and business service areas are other examples of functional regions. They function to serve a region and may have established boundaries for limits of the area to which they will provide service. An example of a common service area—that is, a functional region—is the region to which a local pizza shop will deliver.

Vernacular regions have loosely defined boundaries based on people’s perceptions or thoughts. Vernacular regions can be fluid—that is, different people may have different opinions about the limits of the regions. Vernacular regions include concepts such as the region called the “Middle East.” Many people have a rough idea of the Middle East’s location but do not know precisely which countries make up the Middle East. Also, in the United States, the terms Midwest or South have many variations. Each individual might have a different idea about the location of the boundaries of the South or the Midwest. Whether the state of Kentucky belongs in the Midwest or in the South might be a matter of individual perception. Similarly, various regions of the United States have been referred to as the Rust Belt, Sun Belt, or Bible Belt without a clear definition of their boundaries. The limit of a vernacular area is more a matter of perception than of any formally agreed-upon criteria. Nevertheless, most people would recognize the general area being discussed when using one of the vernacular terms in a conversation.

Using a State as a Comparison Guide

In comparing one formal political region with another, it is often helpful to use a familiar country, state, province, or political unit as a reference or guide. Wherever you are located, you can research the statistical data for a formal region familiar to you to provide a common reference. The US state of Kentucky is one example that can be used to compare formal political regions. Kentucky ranks close to the middle range of the fifty US states in terms of its population of 4.3 million people. Kentucky is also within the median range of the fifty states in overall physical area. The state’s 40,409-square-mile physical area ranks it thirty-seventh in size in the United States. Kentucky is not as large in physical area as the western states but is larger in physical area than many of the eastern states. Kentucky includes part of the rural peripheral region of Appalachia, but the state also has cosmopolitan core urban centers such as Lexington and Louisville. Kentucky also borders the metropolitan city of Cincinnati. The rural peripheral regions of the state are home to agriculture and mining. The urban core areas are home to industry and service centers. Other US states could also be used as examples. Identifying a state’s geographical attributes provides readers both in and outside the United States with a comparison indicator for geographic purposes.

The state of Kentucky can be used as a comparison guide for understanding other formal political regions around the world.

World Regional Geography

World regional geography studies various world regions as they compare with the rest of the world. Factors for comparison include both the physical and the cultural landscape. The main questions are, Who lives there? What are their lives like? What do they do for a living? Physical factors of significance can include location, climate type, and terrain. Human factors include cultural traditions, ethnicity, language, religion, economics, and politics.

World regional geography focuses on regions of various sizes across the earth’s landscape and aspires to understand the unique character of regions in terms of their natural and cultural attributes. Spatial studies can play an important role in regional geography. The scientific approach can focus on the distribution of cultural and natural phenomena within regions as delimited by various natural and cultural factors. The focus is on the spatial relationships within any field of study, such as regional economics, resource management, regional planning, and landscape ecology.

Again, this textbook takes a regional approach with a focus on themes that illustrate the globalization process, which in turn helps us better understand our global community. The regions studied in world regional geography can be combined into larger portions called realms . Realms are large areas of the planet, usually with multiple regions, that share the same general geographic location. Regions are cohesive areas within each realm. The following eleven realms are outlined in this text:

• Europe (Eastern Europe and Western Europe)
• The Russian Realm (Russian republic of the former Soviet Union)
• North America (United States and Canada)
• Middle America (Caribbean, Mexico, Central America)
• South America
• North Africa, the Middle East and central Asia
• Subsaharan Africa (Africa south of the Sahara Desert)
• Southern Asia (India and its neighbors)
• Eastern Asia (China, Mongolia, Japan, and the Koreas)
• Southeast Asia (mainland region and the islands region)
• Australia and the Pacific (including New Zealand)

Figure 1.10 Major World Realms

Key Takeaways

• Geography is the spatial study of the earth’s surface. The discipline of geography bridges the social sciences with the physical sciences. The two main branches of geography include physical geography and human geography. GIS, GPS, and remote sensing are tools that geographers use to study the spatial nature of physical and human landscapes.
• A grid system called the graticule divides the earth by lines of latitude and longitude that allow for the identification of absolute location on the earth’s surface through geometric coordinates measured in degrees. There are twenty-four time zones that are set at 15-degree intervals each and organize time intervals around the world.
• The tilt of the earth’s axis at 23.5 degrees helps create the earth’s seasonal transitions by either absorbing or reflecting the sun’s energy. The line of direct sunlight always hits the earth between 23.5 degrees north (Tropic of Cancer) and 23.5 degrees south (Tropic of Capricorn), depending on the time of year.
• A region is the basic unit of study in geography. Three main types of boundaries define a region: formal, functional, and vernacular. World regional geography is the study of a particular group of world regions or realms as each compares with the rest of the world.

Discussion and Study Questions

• How does the discipline of geography provide a bridge between the social sciences and the physical sciences?
• How does the cultural landscape assist in indicating the differences between a wealthy neighborhood and a poverty-stricken neighborhood?
• How can remote sensing technology assist in determining what people do for a living?
• What is the significance of the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn?
• What occupations depend on knowledge of the seasons for their success?
• If it is 4 p.m. in San Francisco, what time is it in London, England?
• How would GIS, GPS, or remote sensing technology be used to evaluate the destruction caused by a tornado in Oklahoma?
• How is the cultural landscape influenced by the physical landscape?
• Can you list a formal region, a functional region, and a vernacular region that would include where you live?
• What methods, topics, or procedures would be helpful to include in the study of world geography?

Geography Exercise

Identify the following key places on a map:

• Arctic Circle
• Antarctic Circle
• International Date Line
• Prime meridian
• Tropic of Cancer
• Tropic of Capricorn
• Use Google Earth to locate your current school or residence.
• Draw a map of your home state or province and include lines of latitude and longitude.
• Compile the statistical data on your home state, province, or territory to use in comparing formal political regions.

World Regional Geography Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

South America Geography Map Assignment + Questions

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Description

Students will identify/label/color key characteristics of South America. This will help students become familiar with key political and physical features of South America.

List of Countries/Cities

List of Important Physical Features

Other (Mountains/Deserts/Area Specific Physical Features)

Questions (Check for Understanding)

Thank you for viewing and/or purchasing this product. If you would like an entire unit (6+ weeks) with every lesson, activity, and assessment carefully and intentionally put together consider checking out our South America Geography Unit Bundle (Coming Soon).

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