World Geography: Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

The Geographer's Toolkit

Physical and Ecological Processes

Regions

Population

Migration

Resources

Economic Interdependence

Conflict and Cooperation

Urbanization

The Relevance of Geography

Understand that spatial patterns and processes are essential to appreciating how people live on Earth. (C, E, G, H, P)

Apply geographic thinking in addressing global issues. (E, G, P)

Obtain geographical information about the world's countries, cities, and environments. (G)

Apply the concepts of location, scale, map projection, or orientation. (G)

Develop and refine mental maps of world regions. (G)

Create and compare political, physical, and thematic maps. (C, E, G, H, P)

Analyze and explain how different cultures use maps and other visual images to reflect their own interests and ambitions. (C, G)

Explain and apply geospatial technologies including GIS, GPS, and remote sensing. (E, G, P)

Describe ways in which different types of physical processes create and shape the surface of the Earth. (G)

Identify regional climatic patterns and weather phenomena and their effects on people and places. (G)

Describe how humans influence the environment and are influenced by it. (C, E, G)

Explain how technology affects one's ability to modify the environment and adapt to it. (C, E, G)

Explain how characteristics of regions have led to regional labels. (C, E, G, H, P)

Explain how regional landscapes reflect the physical environment and the cultural characteristics of their inhabitants. (C, G)

Analyze how cultural characteristics, including the world's major languages, ethnicities, religions, and issues of gender link or divide regions. (C, G)

Locate and analyze physical, economic, and cultural characteristics of world regions: Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, United States and Canada, North Africa and Southwest Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Russia and Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands, and Antarctica. (C, E, G, H, P)

Compare and contrast the distribution, growth rates, and characteristics of human population in terms of settlement patterns and the location of natural and capital resources. (E, G)

Analyze the role of demography in each region of the world, including life expectancy, birth rate, fertility rate, dependency ratio, and standard of living indicators.

Analyze past and present trends in human migration and cultural interaction as they are influenced by social, economic, political, and environmental factors. (C, E, G, H, P)

Show the influence of different types of resources on patterns of economic activity and land use. (E, G)

Evaluate perspectives and consequences regarding the use of resources. (E, G)

Distinguish between developed and developing countries and relate the level of economic development to the standard of living and quality of life. (E, G)

Analyze the global patterns and networks of economic interdependence. (E, G)

Identify factors, including comparative advantage, that influence economic activities and trade. (E, G)

Map, describe, and evaluate the formation of economic unions. (E, G, H)

Describe ways that economic and social interactions have changed over time. (E, G)

Explain and analyze reasons for the creation of different political divisions. (G, H)

Analyze ways cooperation among political jurisdictions is used to solve problems and settle disputes. (G, H, P)

Apply the concepts of site and situation to major cities in each region. (G)

Explain how the functions of towns and cities have changed over time. (G, H)

Describe the unique influence of urban areas and some challenges they face. (C, E, G)

Use geographic knowledge, skills, and perspectives to analyze problems and make decisions. (C, E, G, P)

Relate current events to the physical and human characteristics of places and regions. (C, E, G, H, P)