What is Geography?

1. What is Geography?

2. Geography is … all around us!

3. Questions on your mind … • Are you interested in the world all around you? • Do you want to be able to make informed decisions about where to work, where to live and where to go on holiday? • Are you concerned about the environment? • Do you want to develop skills you will find useful long after you have left school?

4. What is Geography? “Geography” - 2 Greek words geo (Earth) graphy (writing/ description) It is a subject that studies… • Earth’s surfaces and processes that shape it • relationships between humans and physical environments

5. Purpose of Geography • the knowledge and understanding of where we live, other places, how people and the places interrelate Earth’s surfaces and processes that shape it • the skills needed to carry out geographical study (eg, enquiry, mapwork and fieldwork) – 3Ws, 1H • interest in, and to encourage an appreciation of the world around us • develop concern for the world around us and an ability and willingness to take positive action both locally and globally is to develop …

6. But, knowing one isolated geographical fact does not mean there is geographical understanding! For example: Knowing Mt Everest is the highest peak (8850m) in the world is not understanding geography …unless we seek to understand How its location influences the political security, downstream flooding and access to water of the surrounding areas? Why it is the highest peak? How is it created? Therefore, understanding Mt Everest in terms of the interlinked physical processes and human activities is then truly geographical understanding!

7. Ask questions • “where”, “why”, “what” & “how” • Asking questions is very important in geography, to help us understand the world around us. Geographical skillsfor geographical understanding Where are the farms in Singpore? When will we run out of resources? How do volcanoes form? Why does rain fall?

8. 2. Gather information • Primary information (surveys, fieldwork, fieldtrips) • Secondary information (variety of sources like newspapers, reports, photographs, etc.) • Locate, collect, observe & record information Geographical skillsfor geographical understanding

9. 3. Organise information • Sorting and presenting the information in the forms of tables, charts, maps, diagrams or graphs Geographical skillsfor geographical understanding

10. 4. Analyse information • Find patterns, relationships, connections, similarities, differences Geographical skillsfor geographical understanding

11. 5. Answer questions • Reach a conclusion or understanding Geographical skillsfor geographical understanding

12. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY HUMAN GEOGRAPHY Generally, there are 2 broad divisions of Geography • study of physical features of the earth • describes distribution & processes leading to their formation of natural features • study of human landscape • describe and explain the nature and patterns of various human features and activities • examines relationships between humans and their environment

13. Examining the relationship between humans and the environment • Urbanisation – Find a definition for urbanisation. • Go to app.versoapp.com (or download/open the verso app) and join the class: • 49EF3N • Complete the Flip assigned to you.

14. Human activity and the impact on this environment Information level: Work together to create a list of the ways that human activity has impacted on this environment (use the flip responses to help you)

15. Human activity and the impact on this environment Knowledge: Work together to create a Venn diagram of the positive v. negative impacts of human interaction on this environment.

16. Human activity and the impact on this environment Know-how/Wisdom: Identify at least 3 of the negative impacts on the Environment from the verso flip responses. Work together to think of solutions for how to reduce the negative impacts on this environment.