Geography Module 1.1: Exploring Our World Assessment

Which of the following is NOT a tool used by geographers to study locations?

What type of location is described by the coordinates 40.7128° N, 74.0060° W?

Which type of region is defined by official boundaries, such as states or countries?

The study of the distribution and interaction of physical and human features on Earth is called:

Which of the following best describes human-environment interaction?

What type of distance refers to the travel time between two locations?

The imaginary line that divides the north and south halves of the Earth is called:

Which of the following is an example of relative location?

What does the term "psychological distance" refer to in geography?

Which of the following questions is NOT typically asked by geographers when studying a location?

THEME: PLACE (Page 7) What defines place? Place includes the physical features and cultural landscape of a location. All locations on earth have physical features that set them apart. Some examples are climate, landforms, and vegetation. Other features are products of humans interacting with the environment. Building roads or houses are interactions with the environment. Other interactions are the result of human contact. Because a location’s culture and its use of space may change over time, the description of place may also change.

The text mentions that human interactions with the environment can alter a location. Can you provide examples from the text that illustrate how humans have influenced the physical landscape?

THEME: LOCATION (Page 6) How is location described? Geographers describe location in two ways. Absolute location is the exact place where a geographic feature is found. Relative location describes a place in relation to other places around it. To describe absolute location, geographers use a grid system of imaginary lines. Earth is divided into two equal halves, and each half is called a hemisphere. The equator is the imaginary line that divides the north and south halves. The prime meridian is the imaginary line that divides the earth east and west. To locate places north and south, geographers use latitude lines, imaginary lines that run parallel to the equator. Longitude lines are imaginary lines that go around the earth over the poles. Each site on earth can have only one absolute location.

Based on the text, explain how geographers define absolute location and provide an example of how this concept is applied in identifying a specific place on Earth.

Compare and contrast formal regions and functional regions as outlined in the text. What are the key characteristics that differentiate the two types of regions?

THEME: HUMAN–ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION (Page 8) How do people relate to their environments? People learn to use what the environment offers them. They may change that environment to meet their needs. They also learn to live with parts of the environment that they cannot control. People living in similar environments do not respond to them in the same way. A place with lots of sunshine may mean vacation to one person, and good farming to another. Human beings actively work to change their environments to make them a better place. They may want changes to provide needed goods. People may drain swamps or dig irrigation ditches to improve their lives. Sometimes the changes can cause problems, such as pollution.

Analyze the potential consequences of human changes to the environment as described in the text. What are some positive changes, and what problems might arise as a result of these changes? Support your answer with details from the text.