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World Geography - EOC Performance Level Descriptor Study Guide

About This Study Guide:

In May 2012, the Texas Education Agency released Performance Level Descriptors that outlined what students at

each EOC Performance Level could do. This study guide provides background information to help you prepare to

meet these levels. It is your goal to achieve a Level II (Satisfactory) or Level III (Advanced) Performance. Access the Performance Level Descriptors at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/socstudies/

About the EOC Test:

There are 4 categories on the World Geography test. The chart below shows how many questions you can expect for

each category.

Category Number of Questions

Geography 26

History, Government & Citizenship 14

Culture 14

Economics, Science, Technology & Society 14

The EOC will also assess Social Studies Skills. You’ll need to be able to

Interpret maps.

Analyze and evaluate multiple sources of geographic information, including maps, graphs/charts,

photographs, primary sources, etc.

Locate places on a map.

Create and interpret different types of maps.

Correctly use geographic terminology and academic vocabulary.

Use case studies and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) to answer real world problems.

How to Answer a Multiple Choice Question:

Examine the question. Read the entire question. Study any pictures, charts, passages, or maps.

Recall what you know about the topic. Feel free to jot notes on your test.

Answer the question. Check all of the answer choices and eliminate any choices that are obviously

wrong.

General Study Tips:

Plan ahead. You don’t want to try to cram everything in the day or the week before the exam.

Pick the right time of day to study. Try not to wait until late at night when you are too tired to focus.

Find a study partner or group.

Read, reread, and write, and rewrite your notes!

Links for Study Tools:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/

http://www.teacheroz.com/eocwg.htm

Additional links are provided throughout this document

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Level I – Unsatisfactory

Identify and use geographic tools, terminology, and data.

Geographic Tools

Globes are 3-D representations of earth.

Maps are 2-D representations of parts of the earth’s surface. Maps are made by cartographers. There are many

different types of maps to suit different purposes. Cartographers use surveying, satellites, and GIS (Geographic

Information Systems) to gather data to develop maps.

GIS is a database that collects information and allows geographers to generate sophisticated maps to answer

specific problems.

GPS (Global Positioning System) use satellites to determine longitude, latitude, altitude, and time to locate

objects on earth.

Learn about different types of maps. http://goo.gl/Sg8cR

Geographic Data

Geographers use political, economic, and social data to compare countries.

GDP – Gross Domestic Product – The sum total of all goods and service produced by a country within the political

borders of the country in a year. (Ex: All of the McDonald’s in the 50 United States)

GNP – Gross National Product – The sum total of all goods and services produced by a country within a year,

including all over-seas businesses. (Ex: All of the McDonald’s in the 50 United States PLUS all of the McDonald’s

overseas)

Life Expectancy – The average length of a person’s life

Literacy – The percentage of people in a country who can read and write

Infant Mortality – The number of babies who die within the first year of life per 1,000 live births

Per-Capita – Means per person

Compare data from different countries. http://www.ifitweremyhome.com/

What other data would a geographer study to learn about and compare countries?

Identify landforms, climate patterns, and ecosystems.

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Landforms

Landforms are part of the lithosphere. The lithosphere is the Earth’s crust, which includes the land under water.

Say it out loud: “L: Land, Landform, Lithosphere”

Learn about one landform, the Sahara Desert. http://goo.gl/DP3Aq

Climate Patterns

Climate is the seasonal pattern of weather conditions in an area over many years. Climate does not change rapidly.

Learn more about climate. http://goo.gl/dGG9Q

Ecosystems

An ecosystem is the mix of all living and non-living things, conditions, and interaction in an area.

Learn about one ecosystem, the rainforest, and why preserving it is so important. http://goo.gl/sPSz7

Recognize the characteristics of culture.

Culture is the set of behaviors and beliefs shared by a group of people. It includes

Language Religion Family structures Belief Systems and customs Education Government Economic Systems

Identify the factors that influence human settlement patterns.

Humans like to settle where it is comfortable to live and easy to trade. Humans tend to settle near

Bodies of water (irrigation, transportation)

Temperate climates (not too hot, not too cold)

Transportation routes

Economic activities (jobs)

Learn about different types of settlements. http://goo.gl/tWnKj

Cities are large population centers that have commercial, industrial, and residential areas.

Urbanization is the growth of cities. Two hundred years ago, fewer than 5% of people lived in cities. Today, more

than ½ of all people live in cities.

Learn more about urbanization. http://goo.gl/ZCzJO

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Level II – Satisfactory

Interpret various forms of geographic data.

You will see a variety of charts and graphs on the EOC exam.

Be sure to always

Read the title of the chart or graph.

Look at the key or legend.

Look at the axes, if there are any.

Label the keys and axes. Create a title for each chart.

This map shows the amount of light that can be seen from outer space. More light indicates a larger population with access to electricity.

Climate graphs are a combination of a bar graph and a line graph. Temperature is shown on a line graph, with the figures being shown on the right side of the graph. Rainfall is shown by a bar graph, with the figures being shown down the left side of the graph.

Pie charts are used for showing how something breaks down into its constituent parts.

Learn more about graph and

chart reading skills.

http://goo.gl/kPm5N

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Explain the characteristics of, and processes that create, major landforms, climates, and ecosystems.

Landforms are shaped by physical processes.

Canyons are formed by weathering and erosion.

Deltas are formed by sediment deposited by the flow of water at the river’s mouth. Sediment deposited by

waves can create a beach.

Mountains, volcanoes, lakes, and trenches are created by tectonic forces.

Islands are created by underwater volcanoes.

Learn more about landforms and their creation. http://goo.gl/XFO7P

Climate is influenced by various factors. An acronym is to remember the factors is LACEMOPS.

Latitude – degrees north or south of the equator. Tropics (near the equator) are warm all year. Polar regions are cold all year.

Air Masses – prevailing winds may blow from over a body of water or over land to a position on continent. Wind from over water is humid; frontal precipitation occurs when a mass of warm, wet air meets a mass of cold air.

Continentiality – further distance from oceans creates wide seasonal ranges in temperature. Land warms and cools more rapidly than water.

Elevation – height above sea level. Higher elevations are colder.

Mountain Barriers – mountains force air up to pass over’ air cools and holds less water. Orographic precipitation (rain shadow) occurs on windward side of mountain. Leeward side is much drier.

Ocean Currents – “rivers” within oceans that move warm water from tropics or cold water from polar regions. Warm ocean currents heat the air, increasing temperatures and humidity; cold ocean currents can have reverse effect.

Pressure Cells – is low pressure controls the weather, it will be cool and wet. If high pressure controls the weather, it will be hot and dry.

Storm Tracks – Large storm systems like cyclonic storms and hurricanes are more frequent in certain places and tend to follow paths.

Learn more about the factors that influence climate. http://goo.gl/I25fo

Ecosystems

A biome describes the ecosystem of a region. Weather patterns, climate, landforms, soil, and land use impact the

plants and animals that can live in an area. Biomes have different characteristics.

Rainforests in tropical climates have a high variety of plant and animal life.

Tundras in arctic climates have few plants and animals.

Learn more about biomes. http://goo.gl/mn2L0

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Analyze the ways geography influences historical events.

Events in history are influenced by physical and human geography.

Event Geographic Influence

First farming civilizations develop near river valleys. Rivers provided water for irrigation and transportation.

The Bubonic Plague of the 1300s kills 1/3 of Europe’s

population.

Trade between China and Europe allowed the spread of

the disease.

Can you think of another example?

Analyze factors that promote continuity and change among cultures.

Continuity is when things stay the same. Cultures stay the same when they do not interact with other cultures,

either because of a lack of physical contact or because of a rejection of outsiders.

Change in cultures can occur very rapidly. Factors that promote change are

o Migration – the movement of people from one place to another. When new people arrive, they bring

new beliefs, technologies, and ways of doing things with them.

o Cultural Diffusion – is the spread of ideas, goods, technologies and cultural traits from one society to

another. An example of cultural diffusion is the Columbian Exchange between the Old World and New

World after Columbus discovered the Americas.

o Trade – is any exchange of goods and services. It can occur within a country or between different

countries and encourages the spread of people, ideas, and goods. An example of trade that promoted

change is the Silk Roads that connected ancient China and the Roman Empire.

o Conflict/War – Armed conflict occurs either within a society or between different societies.

A civil war is a conflict between citizens of the same country. The American Civil War of 1861-

1865 is an example.

A genocide is when the dominant group tries to completely eliminate a religious or ethnic group.

The Holocaust of WWII is an example. Nazi Germans tried to murder all of the Jews in Europe. 6

million Jews were killed. In the 1990s, more than 1 million Tutsis were killed in the Rwandan

genocide by the Hutus.

o Technological Innovations – is the development of new technologies. Technology is the use of materials,

tools, and skills to meet human needs.

The invention of the moveable type printing press in 1450 by Johannes Gutenberg allowed the

spread of ideas, like the Protestant Reformation.

Transportation has improved many times due to technological innovations. First, the steam

engine in the 1700s allowed for railroads and steamboats. In the 19th century, internal

combustion engines allowed for the development of automobiles and then airplanes.

Other technological innovations that impact daily life include the Internet, air conditioning,

agricultural tools, desalinization, and medicines.

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Describe the characteristics of various political and economic systems.

Political Systems

Democracy Power is derived from the consent of the people. Ex: The United States

Dictatorship All power is vested in one individual. Totalitarianism is a form of a dictatorship that seeks to control all

aspects of social life within a country. Ex: North Korea

Monarchy All power is vested in one individual and is usually acquired through heredity. Ex: Saudi Arabia

Republic The head of the government is not a monarch. Republics can be democratic (ruled by the people),

theocratic (ruled by religious law Ex: Iran), or parliamentary (having a head of state separate from the

monarch Ex: Great Britain).

Learn more about types of governments. http://goo.gl/cVun4

See a map of types of governments. http://goo.gl/KdtzI

Economic Systems

Free Enterprise Producers and consumers participate voluntarily. Consumer demand drives production. Free

Enterprise systems include capitalist and market economies. Ex: The United States

Socialism Collective social control of production planned by group. Ex: Switzerland

Communism Strong government planning and control of the production and distribution of goods and

services. Ex: China

Traditional

Economy

Production of just enough to live on, subsistence level agriculture. Use of bartering instead of

money. Ex: some cultures in Third World countries.

Learn more about economic systems. http://goo.gl/LJjcU

Subsistence / Cottage Commercial

Agriculture Food is grown and consumed by the

family

Food is grown on a large scale and sold to consumers

Industry Individuals make good in his or her own

home

Employees come to a central location and use

company equipment and resources

Explain the reasons for and impact of migration on various regions, countries, and nations.

Humans migrate (move). Migration of people from one place to another can be influenced by physical geography

(routes, flows, destinations) and other factors.

Immigration is the movement IN to another country to make a new home.

Say it out loud: “I: IN, Immigration”

Emigration is the movement out of a country to make a new home.

Say it out loud: “E: EXIT, Emigration”

Push and pull factors influence migration.

Push factors encourage emigration. These include war, famine, genocide, limited rights, unemployment, poor

living conditions, discrimination, natural disasters etc.

Pull factors encourage immigration. These include peace, protected freedoms, job opportunities, better

education, good living conditions, and attractive climates.

A historical example of push factors is

A historical example of pull factors is

Learn more about migration patterns. http://goo.gl/EchWc

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Analyze how humans interact with the environment.

Human depend on, adapt to, and modify the physical environment.

Adaptation The way people change to

suit the environment

Air conditioning in hot climates

Camels as transportation in the desert

Modification The way people change the

environment

Irrigation of dry climates to grow food

Mining and drilling for natural resources

Dependent People need the

environment to survive

Coal, oil, gas, and other forms of energy for

transportation, manufacturing, heating and cooling,

lighting, etc.

What are some of the negative impacts of modifying the environment?

Learn more about how people change their environment. http://goo.gl/XkxCS

Analyze the impact of scientific and technological innovations on humans and the environment.

Innovation Impact on Humans Impact on Environment

Transportation Ability to travel, trade, and migrate to distant

locations

Destruction of environment for roads, air

pollution from emissions

Air

Conditioning

Ability to live in hot climates, growth of urban

areas

Increased use of natural resources for fuel

Desalinization Access to clean drinking water in areas with

scarce fresh water resources

Water pollution can impact the marine life

Agriculture Large scale farming made possible by heavy

machinery (like tractors) and irrigation can

feed more people

Loss of natural habitats for wild life as land is

used for farming

Level III - Advanced

Draw inferences and make predictions using various forms of geographic data.

You will probably see population pyramids on the EOC and be asked to make inferences or predictions based on the

data.

A population pyramid is a diagram that gives information about the proportion of males and females in each age

group.

o First, read the title of the population pyramid.

o Next, look at the shape.

o Consider the proportions of young to old

o Consider the balance of male and female

Consider where a country would need to spend their money and resources if

o There is a high birth rate? High death rate?

If it’s shaped like a triangle

o A broad base = high birth rates

o A narrow top = small elderly population and a high death rate

o Proportion = large proportion of young people

o Gender = balanced between male and female

If it’s shaped like a bee-hive

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o Narrow base = low birth rates, slow population growth

o Proportion = large proportion of working aged people

o Gender = Balanced between males and females

If it’s shaped like a rectangle

o Base and top roughly balanced = zero population growth (low birth rates,

low death rates, long life expectancy)

For more practice with population pyramids - http://goo.gl/240Hp

Apply an understanding of the interaction between physical patterns, cultural patterns, natural

resources, and underlying processes that affect people, places, and environments to predict future

conditions or problems.

You will be asked to consider case studies, contemporary challenges, and real-world questions. Be sure to

carefully read the question. You might find the problem solving process helpful in answering these types of

questions.

Problem Solving Process

o Identify the problem.

o Gather information.

o List and consider options.

o Consider advantages and disadvantages.

o Choose and implement a solution.

Analyze how globalization leads to conflict and cooperation among various populations and regions of

the world.

Globalization is the increasingly fast movement of goods, services, money, people, and ideas across

international borders. There are both positive and negative impacts of globalization.

o Connectivity – People, countries, and economies are more connects and dependent on one another.

Challenges, failures, and successes in one country will affect another country’s economies, politics,

etc.

o Standard of Living – jobs are created where efficiencies exist and they are lost elsewhere. More

people can buy cheaper goods and services.

o Pandemics – diseases can spread quickly throughout the world.

o Loss of Culture – traditional ways are replaced by new cultural norms.

Learn more about globalization. http://goo.gl/IlN0g

Evaluate examples of cultural diffusion, convergence, divergence, and draw conclusions about the

spread of cultural traits and the resulting patterns.

Cultural Diffusion – The spread of culture from one area to another

o Example: The Columbian Exchange, the spread of American pop culture (music, TV, fast food,

fashion)

Cultural Convergence – The process by which cultures grow more alike (similar)

o Example: The spread of democratic ideas has made countries that adopt these ideas more alike.

Canada, Costa Rice, New Zealand, Micronesia, Estonia, Norway and Cyprus are examples of countries

that have adopted democratic ideas.

Cultural Divergence – The process by which cultures grow apart (less alike)

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o Example: China and Taiwan share the same language and the majority of Chinese and Taiwanese

people are the same ethnicity. After the 1949 Communist Revolution, however, the two countries

diverged politically, socially, and economically in many ways. Taiwan became democratic, capitalism

fueled economic growth, and dramatic social change resulted.

Notes