Approaches to Geography

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Approaches to Geography
A Newfoundland Example

• Mrs. Cournoyer
• Gr. 7 Geography

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Lesson Goals Objectives

• Goal
• Students will gain an introductory understanding
  of Geographys multidisciplinary approach using
  content examples from the island of
  Newfoundland in Canada.
• Objectives
• Students will
• name the three approaches to geographic study and
  categorize information appropriately
• examine the geography of Newfoundland from all
  three approaches
• recall basic geographic information about
  Newfoundland.

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The Three Approaches to Geography
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Physical Geography

• The approach to geography that studies the
  earths physical environment. This includes an
  examination of
• Climate and weather patterns
• Flora fauna (plants and animals)
• Landforms landscapes
• Ocean systems
• Human interaction with all of the above.

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The Physical Geography ofNewfoundland
Labrador
North Atlantic
Gulf of St. Lawrence
Newfoundland
Area 111,390 km2 (the worlds 15th largest
island) Highest point Lewis Hills,
814m Coastline 9,565 km
Avalon Peninsula
Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
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The Physical Geography ofNewfoundland
The physical geography of what is today
Newfoundland was profoundly affected by the
events of the last Ice Age, which ended
approximately 10,000 years ago Huge, slowly
moving ice sheets crept down from the poles,
destroying vegetation, and tore up the landscape
as it retreated. In its wake, the glaciers
deposited clay and rock, and their meltwater
remained in gouged- out inland lakes. The
Newfoundland coastline is noted for its deep
fjords and tablelands carved from the glaciers
during this time.
The islands interior is dotted with glacial
lakes, swampy areas, and forest. Newfoundland is
known as The Rock because of its rugged coast
and rocky interior.
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Political Geography

• The approach to geography that examines organized
  human interaction with the world and its people.
  This branch of geography includes analyzing
• Political borders, boundaries, divisions
• The impact of nations and government on the earth
  and its people
• Maps, globes, and other man-made
  representations of the earth.

The flag of the province of Newfoundland and
Labrador, adopted in 1980.
The Newfoundland Tricolour flag, adopted in 1840.
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The Political Geography of Newfoundland

• Part of the province officially named
  Newfoundland and Labrador in 2001.
• Capital city St. Johns
• Population in 2001 512,930
• Most populous city St. Johns (172,918)
• Provincial government members of parliament
  (MPs) elected popularly

• Premiere of Newfoundland Labrador Danny
  Williams
• The youngest province in Canada, with
  confederation in 1949.
• GDP, 200541,733 per capita

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Cultural/ Historical Geography

• The approach to geography that studies customs,
  foods, clothing, music, architecture, traditions,
  religions and languages of the world, both past
  and present. Cultural and historical
  geography includes examining

• Current and historical settlement patterns
• Traditions and their roots in a defined
  geographic area
• Human adaptations to the environment, both past
  and present.

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The Cultural/ Historical Geography of Newfoundland
Newfoundlands earliest settlers were a series of
nomadic hunter-gatherers native to eastern Asia
that followed herds of game across the Bering
Land Bridge during the last Ice Age. The first
Europeans in Newfoundland were probably the
Vikings remains of a settlement may be seen at
LAnse aux Meadows National Park, on the islands
northwest tip.
Vikings were drawn to Newfoundlands rich fishing
grounds, and it was fish that drew other
Europeans at different points, notably the
English, French, and Irish. Many Newfoundlanders
are descendents of these fishermen, and continue
to work the sea for its bounty. The cod fishery,
in particular, played a key role in settling and
making a living in Newfoundland.
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The Cultural/ Historical Geography of Newfoundland
Click on the images to learn more about culture
in Newfoundland.
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Self-Assessment

• The following quiz is based on the information
  presented in this PowerPoint presentation.
  Before you attempt it, be sure youve read
  through both text and caption material. Good
  luck!

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1. __________ is the examination of man-made
boundaries and the influence of government on the
landscape.

• Cultural geography
• Political geography
• Environmental geography
• Physical geography

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2. Physical geographers are interested in
studying all of the following except

• Landforms
• Climate weather
• Localized plant life
• Immigration settlement patterns

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3. The origins of Newfoundlanders unique
English dialect would interest a

• Historical geographer
• Physical geographer
• Political geographer
• Climatologist

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4. The __________ had a major impact on the
physical landscape of Newfoundland approximately
10,000 years ago.

• Last Ice Age
• Rise of the cod fishery
• Age of exploration
• Immigration of Irish

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5. Newfoundland is the worlds largest island.

• True
• False

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6. The island of Newfoundland creates
____________ to its west, separating it from the
North Atlantic Ocean to its east.

• Hudsons Bay
• The Gulf of St. Lawrence
• The North Pacific
• James Bay

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7. The capital and biggest city in Newfoundland
is

• Corner Brook
• Ottowa
• St. Johns
• Vancouver

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8. A small fishing village in Newfoundland
usually accessible only by boat is

• A cove
• Corner Brook
• A harbor
• An outport

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9. The __________ are believed to have been the
first Europeans to land in Newfoundland.

• pirates
• Ice Age nomads
• French and Irish
• Vikings

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10. Newfoundland has managed to maintain a rich
cultural tradition based on the sea that
continues to this day.

• True
• False

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A note on the presentation

• This PowerPoint was prepared with the GEP model
  in mind. Lesson goal and objectives were stated
  clearly at the outset students were to learn the
  three basic approaches to studying Geography.
  This was the general concept, presented in the
  beginning slides. As the presentation continues,
  students get definitions, an expansion of the
  general concept, and detailed examples of the
  concept based on Newfoundland geography. They
  practice what theyve learned in the informal
  self- evaluation at the end.
• The lesson is also a form of programmed self-
  teaching, where students are allowed to take
  their time to peruse the text, read captions, and
  explore hypertext links if they so chose.