INSTRUCTOR MANUAL - S ixth Edition K NOX | MARSTON Chapter 1: Geogr...

INSTRUCTOR MANUAL

For Wendy Mitteager Human Geography Places and Regions in Global Context S ixth Edition K

NOX | MARSTON 1 / 4

Chapter 1: Geography Matters

Overview

After reading this chapter, students should learn that geography is complex, dynamic, and essential for understanding interdependent global relationships. The chapter introduces important concepts that build the framework of the discipline.Students will learn about the increasing geographic interdependence of the world, and the importance of instant global communications and rapidly changing international relationships. Learning about human geographies will illustrate to students how understanding complex interrelationships are crucial to solving problems on scales from local to global.In addition, students will learn about geographic tools used to better understand places such as map projections, GIS, spatial analysis, and regional analysis. Finally, students will learn that human geography is important both from an intellectual view and a practical point of view. Geographers study the uniqueness of specific places while recognizing the broader processes that contribute to economic, social, and cultural phenomena.

Learning Outcomes

• The study of geography is essential for understanding a world that is more

complex, interdependent, and changing faster than ever before

• How places influence inhabitants’ lives
• Distinguish the differences between map projections and describe their

relative strengths and weaknesses

• Explain Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and how it is used to merge

and analyze data

• Summarize the concepts key to spatial and regional analysis and describe

how they are used to analyze relationships between people and places

• Describe the importance of distance in shaping human activity

Chapter Outline

Geography Matters. Places Matter. (p.4) • Geographic literacy • Places are dynamic and complex • Spatial organization of human activities • How and why relationships are important • Different geographic scales of analysis 1

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Geographic Methods and Tools (p.7) • Qualitative and quantitative data • Remote sensing, maps, and GIS • Map projections

Spatial and Regional Analysis (p.18, p.24) • Five key concepts of spatial analysis • Three key concepts of regional analysis • Developing a geographical imagination

Future Geographies (p.30) • Future patterns and pathways of change

1.1 Geography Matters – Geographers at Work (p.8) What geographers do, and jobs and careers in geography

1.2 Visualizing Geography – Geography and Consumer Preferences (p.16) Using geodemographic data to analyze consumer groups

1.3 Window on the World – South Beach, Miami Beach (p.28) Successive waves of development and change

Discussion Topics and Lecture Themes

• Discuss with the students the September 2010 strike in Maputo,

Mozambique. Ask them to discuss why the workers were striking and the level of poverty that exists. Then ask the students to discuss the role of current technology on the strike and how this relates to other movements in the past or present. Note that this strike is a reflection of the increasing geographic interdependence of the world.

• This former Portuguese colony is ranked 175

th out of 179 countries on the UN Human Development Index. Population below poverty line=70%; Population unemployed=54%; Annual per capita income=$807

• Price increase in bread by 30% prompted the riots and strikes.
• The riots and strikes were organized primarily by text messaging.

You can relate this to past movements which did not have current technology, and current movements—such as the Occupy Wall Street movement—which relies heavily on technology as a means of organizing. 2

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d. Rising food prices in Mozambique is partly the result of: increasing

food consumption in other parts of the world, increasing meat consumption which drives up the price of grain, increasing energy prices, and climate change.

2. Apply Your Knowledge: List three reasons why a corporate employer would

feel it is important for prospective employees to have some knowledge of geography.

• By obtaining a better understanding of the world, people can

overcome closed-mindedness, prejudice, and discrimination.

• As the world becomes more interdependent, workers will have to

communicate with other cultures and understanding the diversity of this world can help with communications and transactions.

• Economic and political structures are operating on global scales.

• Ask students to examine their own Geographic Literacy. Can they find their

own country on a world map? How about locating Washington D.C. or Yellowstone National Park on a blank map of the U.S.? Ask them to locate the nations or cities in which recent natural disasters, uprisings, or battles/wars have occurred. Have them point the locations out on a world map. Ask them what the most common native spoken language is in the world (Mandarin Chinese).

• Ask them to point out what region and specific locations Hurricane

Irene greatly impacted such as the Schoharie River Valley in New York State or the Connecticut River Valley in Vermont.

• Ask them to point out the location of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Egypt.

• Ask the students what they ate and drank for breakfast. Then ask them to

state the likely origins for these foods and beverages (Ecuadorian bananas, Brazilian coffee, Florida oranges, etc.). How do the local community and the source regions for these products depend on each other?

• The local community needs to import items that cannot be produced

locally, whereas source regions depend on external communities for markets.

• Have students draw maps of their hometowns (or the local area). Have them

include emotional and cultural symbols, ordinary places with special meanings (e.g., childhood neighborhoods), and points or paths of accessibilit y (airports, major highways, etc). Then have the students compare the maps. What are common elements of all maps? What did the students identify as important? How detailed are their maps? Does detail reflect familiarity? 3

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