Unit I: World Geography Study Guide


Terms:


Key terms you expect to see on a map: title, orientation, legend

Longitude: two major meridians (and degrees)

Latitude: 5 major parallels (and degrees)

Degree of latitude = how many miles?

Winter, Summer solstices

Vernal, Autumnal equinoxes

Time zones

Seasons: why they vary from one hemisphere to another

Climate

Weather

Solar energy

DNA “markers”

San of the Kalahari

Lake Mungo

Chukchi people

Terms from the Cultural Evolution/Cultural Diffusion article


Discussion questions:


  1. How do you find the longitude and latitude of a specific point on earth? (You need to be able to demonstrate this skill.)


  1. Why does it matter how a map is “projected”? What is a map projection, anyway? How can it be “biased”?


  1. Why have we created separate time zones? Approximately what is the distance (in degrees) between each time zone? Why?


  1. How is weather created? Why is it said that more than any other physical attribute of Earth, weather and climate regulate natural systems and affect how humans adapt to their environment?


  1. How does the geography of Africa explain why it took longer for Africans to domesticate plants and animals than it did people in the southwestern Asia (“Middle East”)? Why were they not as successful in doing so?


  1. Why is it important for us to recognize that the north/south orientation of the African continent explains a lot about why their agricultural development is so different from other continents?


  1. Why do we think that large animals still exist in Africa whereas most large species in other areas of the world have long since been extinct?



  1. Why are there more diseases in Africa?


  1. Why might some people say that African nations are “doomed” by their geography? What are some resources that could be tapped to enhance their progress? What can the outside world do to help?


  1. Journey of Man discussion questions.


  1. Cultural Evolution/Diffusion discussion questions.