4th Grade Introduction to Geography

1. What is Geography?

2. Welcome to Geography Geography: the study of people and places of Earth.

3. Why Is It Important? It explains the forces that shape the land. It explores how living things are connected to the places where they live. Helps us understand our environment.

6. So….Who Studies Geography? Geographers! Do you like to ask questions? Do you like to find answers? Do you like being outside? Then being a geographer may be just the job for you someday!

7. Three Essential Questions Where is it? Why is it there? What is it like there? These are the questions geographers ask about different environments. Their job is to find the answers.

8. “Where is it?” Geographers answer this question by describing the location of a place? How would you describe the location of your home? Explain what is close to it. Give the address **Geographers do both of these!**

9. An Address? Geographers give places an address by using lines of latitude and longitude. Check it out!

10. Latitude These lines are also called parallels. Degrees of latitude measure how far north or south of the equator a place is. Each line has a number, called degrees. The equator is 0 degrees latitude. Other latitude lines are measured in degrees north or south of the equator.

11. Longitude Also known as meridians. Also have numbers, called degrees, to name each line. The prime meridian is at 0 degree longitude. The rest of the longitude lines measure east or west of the prime meridian.

12. “Why Is It There?” After answering the “where” question, geographers are ready to tackle the “why” question. This takes detective work. Look for clues about the forces that created mountains, rivers, and other features. Look for clues about why people settled there. Look for clues about why communities grew or disappeared

13. What Kind of Clues? Natural Clues: landforms, bodies of water, wind, rainfall, plants, animals, trees, and soil. Human Clues: languages, food eaten, jobs, religion, and types of buildings.

14. “What Is It Like?” This is where the geographer takes the clues used to answer the “why” question and describe them!

15. Let’s Be Geographers! Now it’s your turn to be a geographer! Let’s take some time right now to answer those three questions geographers use to learn about our area!

16. “Where is it?” Let’s look at a globe. What do you notice? Sphere shaped 7 Continents Africa Antarctica Asia Australia Europe North America South America 4 Oceans Atlantic Ocean Arctic Ocean Indian Ocean Pacific Ocean 4 Hemispheres Hemisphere: one half of Earth’s surface Lines of Latitude and Longitude

17. So….Where are we? Northern and Western Hemisphere North American Continent United States of America Illinois Stephenson County German Valley

18. “What is here?” What are some landforms in our area? What kinds of work do people do? What plants and animals do you see?

19. “Why is it here?” The why we will be learning more about in the two lessons when we discuss erosion. In the meantime, continue to describe the world around you! Let’s be successful geographers!