3.1 - Characteristics of Geographic Regions

From EngageNY

Geographic regions have unifying characteristics and can be studied using a variety of tools.

3.1a
Earth is comprised of water and large land masses that can be divided into distinct regions.
  • Students will identify the continents and oceans, by using globes and maps.
  • Students will locate the selected world communities in relation to oceans and continents.
3.1b Globes, maps, photographs, and satellite images contain geographic information. Maps often have a title, legend or key, compass orientation, author, date, grid, and scale.
  • Students will identify the differences between a globe and a map.
  • Students will examine a variety of maps for at least two of the selected world communities, looking for structural features of the map such as title, legend or key, compass orientation, author, date, grid, and scale. These should include political, physical, vegetation, and resource maps. A variety of scale should be represented (e.g., continent vs. country, country vs. city).
  • Students will compare geographic information found in photographs and satellite images with other representations of the same area and identify differences for at least one of the selected world communities.

Supporting Materials

ebook

Crazy For California

Travel reporters Sandy Feet and Sunny Burns take you on a madcap journey across the Golden State which you will not soon forget.


Keywords: travel, landmarks, rhyme, California, geography, United States

ebook

Crazy for Canada

Take a trip unlike any other in the company of Lester B. Beaver who travels across the country trying to discover the true meaning of Canada. A great geography lesson for young children who want to learn more about Canada.


Keywords: travel,...

DVD

Maps & Globes

What is a map? What is a globe? And what are the differences? Maps & Globes teaches students to understand and identify the different parts of maps and globes from lines of latitude and longitude, to hemispheres and poles. Students will also learn the significance of location. By describing...

ebook

Our California

Award-winning author Pam Muñoz Ryan celebrates the wonders of her home state. Jaunty poems introduce California's major cities and regions.

DVD

Places & Regions

Earth is a vast, diverse and complicated place, but breaking it down into regions allows us to simplify the whole. In Places & Regions, students will understand the physical and human characteristics that combine to form the areas we create to interpret our planet's complexity. From the...

DVD

The Five Themes of Geography

Join five enthusiastic students in their high-tech "Social Studies Lab" to learn about the five themes of geography: Location, Place, Human-Environment Interactions, Movement, and Regions. Visit locations around the world to understand how geographers study the earth and the people who live here...

DVD

The World in Spatial Terms

In this program, students will learn about cartography and technologies such as GIS, GPS and databases that geographers use to help us see the regular and recurring patterns in Earth's physical and human systems. These tools not only help us see and understand the world's patterns, but also help...

DVD

Using Maps & Globes

Building on students’ basic understanding of maps and globes, the more complex concepts of latitude and longitude are introduced. The equator, north and south hemispheres, tropics of Cancer and Capricorn are defined and located down to minutes and degrees. The prime meridian, east and west...

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