Theme2+Place

= =



So, as you can see, place is a very broad theme amongst the themes of geography. For this reason we will spend quite about five classes focusing on some of the physical and human geographic elements of place.**
 * Place is really a description of a place in the sense that it addresses the question, "What is it like there?" That is, what is the land, water, weather, soil, plants, and animals like in a certain place. It also addresses the issue of people. In this case what activities do they engage in (think everything a people do including work to entertainment), the religion(s) this is (are) practiced, the language(s) used, the type of culture practices employed by the peoples of that place, and finally, the demographics of that population which would include age and ethnic make up of a population.

=Lesson 1: Biomes and Climates (Physical Geography)=

Our focus in World Geography is to become familiar with the various sorts of **landforms, plant life and climates** in the world. For this section you are to complete an exercise where must complete a retrieval chart dealing with this topic. Be sure to go through the entire exercise (see assignment Global Biomes and Climate below). You must utilize the following links to complete this assignment:

=[|Interactive Climate Map]=


 * Assignment** for Physical Geography: [[file:Global Biomes and Climate.pages]]

=Lesson 2: What Goes on Under the Earth's Surface: Plate Tectonics and Earthquakes= Due to the most recent tragedy in Haiti (2010) I believe it is very important to at least spend some time on this often over-looked, but deeply powerful geographical reality. To begin what is an earthquake and how is it caused? Go here to the [|BBC site on Natural Disasters.]


 * How bad can an earthquake be if it hit southern California? Watch the video for an idea of what could happen and what might be needed to prepare for such an event.

media type="youtube" key="UFBRs1Lbvyo" height="340" width="560"**
 * Want to know about possible earthquakes? Check out this Twitter for [|Earthquake and Tsunami Warnings].**


 * Where are the earthquakes happening? See this:** **//__GIS > Geographical Visualisation Google Maps:__//** [|USGS M 1+ earthquakes, past 7 days (colored by age)]


 * See** [|Earthquakes with 1,000 or more Deaths Since 1900]


 * The Richter Scale

Earthquake Glossary: **


 * Your assignment: [[file:Earthquakes with 1,000 or More.pages]]**


 * To get a "Road View (로드뷰)**" of the devastation in Haiti see [|Immersive Media]

=**Lesson 3: Population**=

Certainly people contribute to place. One factor that must be considered when speaking to people within a place is population. We often consider that a country that has too many people has, or will have problems. For example, we look at India and believe that due to its huge population that it will certainly suffer sociological and economical problems. However, this is not always the case. Though too many people can be a problem, too few can also create hardships for a place. As you view the film, //Population Paradox// (part of the //World In Balance// series) answer the questions that are in the document below. World In Balance:
 * Population as an element of place**

=**Lesson 4: Population Pyramids**=


 * Notes for Population and demographic transition [[file:World Pop.ppt]]**

=HUMAN SETTLEMENT= = = Have you ever wondered why a city is where it is? Or why some people insist on living in an area that floods? There are many reasons for why some places attract human habitation and what sort of settlement will emerge in that area. This unit is focused on cities. Primarily we will look at the types of cities that exist, and the urban patterns of settlement that emerge in them.

=Lesson 5: Patterns of Human Settlement= [|Urban Geography Glossary] [|Geography Dictionary and Glosary]


 * WE HAVE SOME PROPERTY TO SELL FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A HUMAN SETTLEMENT (jigsaw activity)
 * This is an in-class assignment. You and members of your group have a task.
 * **Group One:**
 * You are to find out what sorts of places people might settle in. There are several you will find them on your page marked SETTLEMENT CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMAN SETTLEMENT
 * Go there to find out your mission.
 * Members of this group can be found in the Block G link.


 * **Group Two:**
 * You and members of your group are to find out what the pattern of a settlement might take. There are not that many, so your group will be very small. See PATTERNS OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
 * Go there to find out your mission
 * Members of this group can be found in the Block G link


 * **Group Three:**
 * You and members of your group are to find out the functions that a human settlement might take. There are several types on the page marked FUNCTIONS OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
 * Go there to find out your mission
 * Members of this group can be found in the Block G link

=**Lesson 6 Urban Land Use Models**= Watch the video of a walk through London, England, below from [|Urban Earth] Note how the use of the land changes and then sort of changes back as the person walks through London. Those changes indicate that the land is being used for a different purpose, i.e. for residential living or business etc. This shows us that cities have several different types of uses that are not unique to any one of them since they all share this. This unit is about those models of use. There are two models you will need to know for MEDC cities and one of LEDC cities.

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LEDCs do not have quite the same pattern. See below For a comparison to London's land use model watch this one of Mombai, India to get an idea of the difference. media type="custom" key="5395823"
 * Your assignment** Urban Land Use Models: [[file:Urban land use models.pages]]

=**Lesson Seven: The Urban Environment in Asian Cities**= We live in a world that is forever urbanizing. The most urbanized regions of the world are East Asia, Europe, and North America. At the turn of the 20th century there were only 13 cities with populations over 1 million people, by 1990 there were 280 cities. (//Human Geography 2nd Edition,// Fellman et al.) As one can easily conclude, the world's population - in some regions - is becoming extremely urbanized. A website for maps of cities: [] Notes on cities (very basic): In class exercise: > Cosmic city, Commercial city, Colonial city, and Sacred city. >>
 * Open Pages and set up four different charts. Each will have the following heading:
 * Compare two to three cities under each category and seek to show three similarities they share. Use information that you gather from maps and images of the cities.
 * Cosmic city:
 * Xian, China, Beijing, China, and Kyoto, Japan
 * Commercial city:
 * Calcutta, India, Shanghai, China, Singapore
 * Colonial city:
 * Mumbai, India, Hanoi, Vietnam
 * Sacred city:
 * Varanasi, India, Jerusalem, Israel, Mecca, Saudi Arabia

=**Closing Thoughts**=

In regards to PLACE we have looked at two of parts of the over-all theme: physical and human geography. In terms of physical we have looked at biomes (vegetation and climate and topography). In terms of human geography, we have examined population, and by extension of that we have looked at cities. There are other human geographical characteristics that we did not examine here, but will when we look at world regions. Those are languages and religions. [|Links to Languages]