One page -- keys to success in Geography of Utah - GEOG3600 .

Know how the concepts / admonitions on this page as they apply to Utah …and (a) you’ll do well in the course; and (b) be empowered for life (acc. GAtwood). Coaching... bookmark this page, even print it off, so you can refer to it during lectures, while you do homework, and... especially for exams. There are four sections on this page:

A. Geography Is...

B. The 15 Words

C.Think Like a Geographer

D.LINKS to Utah's regions based on the five subsystems of Earth systems... note... some folks would draw these differently... that's the nature of REGIONS.

A. GEOGRAPHY

Geography is:

“Geography is the science of space and place on Earth’s surface. Its subject matter is the physical and human phenomena that make up the world’s environments and places. Geography asks us to look at the world as a whole, to understand connections between places, to recognize that the local affects the global and vice versa. The power and beauty of geography lies in seeing, understanding, and appreciating the web of relationships among people, places and environments.” According to National Geographic… standards…

B. THE 15 WORDS  --if you know these about Utah... and the webs of connections among them, you'll do great in GEOG3600

The FIVE Great Themes of Geography:

1- Location

2- Place

3- Interaction

4- Movement also called migration...

5- Regions

Physical geography… the FIVE subsystems of Earth systems. (G Atwood, working definitions, ESE website):

6- Geosphere = the solid Earth. The geosphere largely determines topography; resources; geologic hazards; and scenery.

7- Hydrosphere = water Earth. The hydrosphere largely determines water supplies; water-related hazards including pollution; and waste disposal / isolation.

8- Atmosphere = gaseous Earth. The atmosphere largely determines weather; climate; quality of life such as recreation; natural hazards of air pollution; weather-related hazards including severe snows, climate change, heat waves; and critical component of water balance.

9- Biosphere = living Earth. The biosphere contributes to the balance among Earth’s modulating systems; globally it determines food sources; it is our niche (where we live, and what we eat).

10- Anthrosphere = the portion of Earth dominated by human activities. The concept of an anthrosphere appreciates the impact of human beings as a subsystem of the Earth system; includes direct impacts and the human footprint.

"Human Geography: Five Issues of Social and Behavioral Science ... .

At the UofU there are seven departments of Social and Behavioral sciences they are (paraphrased from Webster Dictionary on line, with significant changes by G.Atwood, ESE):

ANTRHOPOLOGY= the science and study of human beings… two subdisciplines: cultural anthropology – human language, human social structure – magic, art, technology; and physical anthropology: human evolution, evidence of variability.

ECONOMICS = the science and study of goods and services, e.g. money.

FAMILIY AND CONSUMER STUDIES = the study of modern living patterns; home economics; child and family development; demographics.

GEOGRAPHY = (see above)

POLITICAL SCIENCE = the science and study of power; concerned with governmental institutions and processes

PSYCHOLOGY = the science and study of mind and behavior, including mental and emotional phenomena; such as attitudes including a sense of place. and

SOCIOLOGY. = the science and study of society; specifically social order, social institutions, collective behavior; religious institutions;

In Geog3600 we link five of these and these are the FIVE ISSUES of SOCIAL and BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE to explore all semester long: :

11- Anthropology - Utah's Early Peoples

12- Economics

13- Demographics

14- Political Science ...

15- Sociology - social institutions... such as governmental institutions... and geographic patterns of religions

C. What is meant by "THINK LIKE A GEOGRAPHER?"

FIRST - examine evidence ... OBSERVATIONS

SECOND - think about what you're supposed to know ... ANALYSIS / INTERPRETATION

THIRD - wonder why it matters... SO WHAT??

OBSERVATTIONS.... facts, what you see... with respect to the issue / problem before you. -- The 15 Words.

ANALYSIS/OBSERVATIONS... what you learned, read, interpreted... not just gut... why not reference concepts from the WebText?? The 15 Words.

SO WHAT ... The 15 Words... especially the five issues of social and behavioral sciences.

D. LINKS to maps... Utah's regions based on the five subsystems of Earth Systems. Regions based on:

GEOSPHERE - physiographic provinces LINK and LINK

HYDROSPHERE - drainage basins LINK contrast hydro - geo LINK

ATMOSPHERE - climate zones LINK

BIOSPHERE - bioregions LINK

ANTHROSPHERE - counties LINK and Utah's early peoples LINK