Geography: The Study of Earth

Core Concepts 1.1

Essential Question: Why do geographers study the Earth and how do they do it affectively?

• Geography-The study of the human and nonhuman features of the Earth.

Where are things located?Why are they there?

To study the Earth, Geographers need to measure it and locate points on its surface.

How? Using cardinal and intermediate directions• Cardinal directions: north, south, east, west• Intermediate directions: northwest, southwest, northeast, southeast

Compass Rose: Shows cardinal and intermediate directions on a map• Volunteer to draw and label?

Those are directions on a map. . . .

But what about the real world? Do you know which direction is North?

Let’s Play “Simon Says!!”

What is latitude???

• Latitude is the distance North or South of the Equator. It is measured in degrees. Degrees are units that measure angles

• The Equator is 0 degrees latitude. It divides the Earth in half, creating the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.

What hemisphere do you live in?

• Latitude lines (parallels) north of the Equator are parallels north (N), south of the Equator are parallels south (S).

What does parallel mean?

What is Longitude?

• Longitude is the distance East and West of the Prime Meridian.

• The Prime Meridian is 0 degrees longitude. It divides the Earth in half, creating the Eastern and Western Hemisphere. • The International Date Line is 180 degrees longitude. It is the same longitude meridian

as the Prime Meridian but on the other side of the earth. Where the day begins!What hemisphere do you live in?

• Longitude lines (meridians) east of the Prime Meridian are meridians east (E), west of the Prime Meridian are meridians west (W).• All longitude meridians pass through the North and South Poles.

Think Orange!!!

Prime Meridian/International Date Line