The framework for this unit is based on development of those understandings using the five elements of geography: location (relative and absolute), place, region, human-environmental interaction, and movement and communication. By using these five elements as a basis for examining human-geographic relationships, students develop an awareness of and appreciation for environmental and cultural differences in the world. In addition, they acquire a global perspective when viewing or reading about local, national and global events and issues.

The following chart provides an outline for Unit One.
 

Major Concept: location Related Concepts: geography, latitude, longitude, place, human-environment interaction, movement, regions Topics: Topic One Reviewing Map Interpretation Skills Topic Two Location--Relative and Absolute Topic Three Location--Latitude and Longitude Topic Four Pacific Rim Neighbours Topic Five Using Scale to Measure Distance Topic Six Place--Physical and Human Characteristics Topic Seven Regions--Unifying Characteristics and Change Topic Eight Climate and Climate Change Topic Nine Human-Environment Interaction and Relationships Topic Ten Movement and Communication Topic Eleven Relating Current Events to Map Locations

Glossary of Terms

The following definitions are as much for teacher information as they are for students. It is up to individual teachers to decide which of the following terms to present to students. Teachers should base this decision upon students' prior knowledge about the concepts and content of the topic.
 

Absolute Location	Mathematically precise points that are unchanging and essential in naming specific locations on the Earth's surface—latitude and longitude.
Cartography	The science and art of map making.
Climate	The usual weather conditions of a place or region, observed over a period of several years.
Geography	The study of the Earth and its landforms, climate, resources, people and so on. The basis of the word is Greek: "geo" meaning the world and "graphel" meaning to write.
Grid System	An arbitrary mathematical system, such as latitude and longitude, that identifies the absolute position of a location.
Human-Environmental  Interaction	How people and the environment affect and influence each other.
Latitude	Distance in degrees north or south of the equator.
Location	The absolute positions of people and places on the Earth's surface.
Longitude	Distance in degrees east or west of the prime meridian.
Maps	Drawings of part or all of the Earth's surfaces that efficiently portray and communicate spatial data. There are many types of maps, providing a variety of data (e.g., physical, political, population distribution).
Movement	The global patterns of movement of people, products and information.
Place	Refers to the human, physical and environmental characteristics of a place that distinguish it from any other places.
Pacific Rim	Lands bordering on, or contained in, the basin of the Pacific Ocean.
Region	An area that has been subdivided in some way to interpret the Earth's complexity (e.g., common language, political borders, landforms, land use, climate).
Relative Location	The location of a site in relationship to other sites. Relative locations often change due to changes in land use, movement of people and animals or other environmental change.
Scale	Size of a map compared to the actual size of the area of the location it represents.

Resources

All units are resource-based; teachers and students are encouraged to use a variety of resources and sources throughout. The accompanying bibliography contains annotations of current, useful resources including print, video, Internet sites, and other media selections. Teachers are encouraged to assess their current resource collection, identifying those that are still useful, and to acquire small quantities of each title, rather than class sets, in order to provide students with a broad range of perspectives and information. The annotations in the bibliography will assist teachers in making resource selections appropriate to the abilities and needs of the students.

The following list of resource titles provides a starting point for developing a Unit One resource collection that is current and relevant, and addresses students' various learning styles and abilities.

Print Resources

Atlases, maps and globes
Asia and the Pacific
Canada and its Pacific Neighbours (previously listed text, much of which is still useful)
Lands, Peoples, and Cultures Series
North Circumpolar World
Pacific Rim Discovery
Pacific Rim Profiles

The following print resources are listed for Middle Level English Language Arts (grades 6-9) and offer opportunities for interdisciplinary instruction.

Big Burn - Lesley Choyce
Clearcut Danger - Lesley Choyce
Ecology - Heath Middle Level Literature
The Environment - Insights Series
Future Directions - Health Middle Level Literature
Global Issues - The Issues Collection
Speak to the Earth - William Bell
Inquiry and Investigation: Technology - Journeys Series

Non-print Resources

How Geography Defines a Culture (video)
Sir Sanford Fleming - Heritage Minute (video segment from We are Canadians kit)
Trinkets & Beads (video)

Internet Sites

Teachers are advised to check the bibliography for Internet site addresses that support this unit. As well, many general interest sites are listed in Social Studies: An Information Bulletin for the Renewed Middle Level Curricula (Grades 7-9), March 1999. Due to the unstable nature of Internet sites, teachers are advised to access Saskatchewan Education's Web site at http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/curr_inst/social/socialsciences.html. See pages 378-381 in this curriculum guide for information about locating and evaluating Internet sites.

Incorporating Current Events

Incorporating current events enhances students' understanding of the concepts under study and extends their learning experiences by relating the events to real life and making them relevant. Sources for current event stories include newspapers, news magazines, daily and weekly television and radio newscasts and documentaries, and the Internet. Many Canadian daily newspapers are available on-line and are a reliable source of current events. Select articles and news items to support the objectives and concepts as often as possible, and encourage students to contribute also. See pages 346-350 in this curriculum guide for some current event activities.

Interdisciplinary Opportunities

This unit may be adapted for interdisciplinary study. See page 336 in this curriculum guide for information about developing interdisciplinary units of study. The following are some suggestions for connecting this unit to Science and English Language Arts (ELA).

· Integrate the study of ecosystems in Science with the study of location in Social Studies. See the bibliography for information about the CD-ROM Ecoregions of Saskatchewan: Exploring Ecological Wonders, which emphasizes the relationship between the environment and its inhabitants.

· Integrate the Science unit Saskatchewan--the Land with Topic Six in this unit (Place--Physical and Human Characteristics of the Landscape).

· Integrate the use of maps and study of location and related concepts of Social Studies into the Grade 7 ELA unit Pushed to the Limit: Surviving Life's Challenges. Have students read non-fiction accounts of people's environmental challenges and interactions in one or more Pacific Rim countries. These are often printed in magazines such as Readers Digest, National Geographic, Equinox and Maclean's.

· Integrate the study of human-environmental interaction in Social Studies with reading fiction and engaging in literature circle discussions in ELA. For example, when exploring the relationship between humans and their environments, students could read poems, stories and other literature about the effects and consequences of clear cut logging, hydro damns, floods, hurricanes and drought. Or, they might read factual accounts of the effect that humans have on their environment, and how people adapt to survive in their ever-changing environments.