Priority Academic Student Skills

WORLD GEOGRAPHY

Grade 7

        Geography is the study of spatial patterns of the human and physical dimensions of the world.  Students will explore how these spatial patterns form, change over time, and relate to one another throughout various regions.  Students will examine the cultural, political, and economic developments, physical geography, and population distribution for each region.

Standard 1. The student will use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies    

                      to analyze relationships between people, places, and environments of world regions from

                      a spatial perspective.

                    *1. Locate, gather, analyze, and apply information from primary and secondary sources

                      2. Apply  the  concepts  of  scale,  distance,  direction,  relative  location,  latitude  and longitude.

                     *3. Construct  and  use  maps,  globes,  graphs,  charts,  models,  and  databases  to  analyze

                           spatial distributions and patterns.

                    *4. Recognize the characteristics, functions and applications of maps, globes, aerial and other

                           photographs, satellite images, and models.

Standard 2: The  student  will  examine  the  major  cultural  and  physical  regions  of  the world to interpret

                      the earth’s complexity.

                        1. Define the concept of a region and explain how common characteristics can link and

                            divide regions.

                         2. Identify  examples  of  and  reasons  for  conflict  and  cooperation  among  groups,

                              societies, countries, and regions.

                       *3. Explain how and why regions change over time.

                         4. Define,  recognize,  and  locate  on appropriate  maps  and  globes  basic  landforms  

                            and bodies  of  water,  and  major  cities,  rivers,  mountain  ranges,  regions,  biomes,  

                             and countries of the world.

Standard 3: The student will examine the interactions of physical systems that shape the patterns of

                      the earth’s resources.

                           *1. Identify  forces  beneath  and  above  the  earth’s  crust,  explaining  the  processes  

                                 and agents that influence the distribution of resources.

                             2. Recognize  regional  climatic  patterns  and  weather  phenomena,  and  identify  

                                factors that  contribute  to  them  (e.g.,  latitude,  elevation,  earth-sun  relationships,  

                                prevailing wind, and proximity to bodies of water).

                            3. Analyze  the  impact  of  natural  disasters  (e.g.,  tornadoes,  earthquakes,  hurricanes,

                                tsunamis, floods, and volcanoes) on human populations.

Standard 4. The student will evaluate the human systems of the world.

                            1. Compare  and  contrast  common  characteristics  of  world  cultures  

                                (e.g.,  language, ethnic  heritage,  religion,  political  philosophy,  shared  history,  

                                social  systems,  and economic systems).

                           *2. Explain patterns and processes of global economic interdependence

                                 (e.g., developed and developing countries, economic activities, and world trade).

                           *3. Describe  how  changes  in  technology,  transportation,  and  communication  

                                 affect  the location of economic activities.

                           *4. Recognize  and  explain  the  impact  of  ethnic  diversity  within  countries  and  

                                major cultural regions.

                            5. Evaluate  issues  of  population  location,  growth,  and  change,  including  density,

                                settlement patterns, migration, and availability of resources.

Standard 5. The student will examine the interactions of humans and their environment.  

                           1. Identify  and  describe  the  relationship  between  the  distribution  of  major  

                               natural resources  (e.g.,  arable  land,  water,  fossil  fuels,  and  iron  ore)  and  

                               developed  and developing countries.

                            2. Evaluate   the   effects   of   human   modification   of   and   adaptation   to   the   

                               natural environment  (e.g.,  use  of  the  steel  plow,  crop  rotation,  types  of  housing,  

                               flood prevention,   discovery   of   valuable   mineral   deposits,   the   greenhouse   

                               effect, desertification, clear-cutting forests, air and water pollution, urban sprawl,

                               and use of pesticides and herbicides in agriculture).

Standard 6: The student will analyze problems and issues from a geographic perspective using the

                    skills and tools of geography.

                            1. Evaluate   and   draw   conclusions   from   different   kinds   of   maps,   graphs,   

                                charts, diagrams, and other sources and representations (e.g., aerial and shuttle

                                photographs, satellite-produced   images,   the   geographic   information   system   (GIS),   

                                atlases, almanacs, and computer-based technologies).  

                          *2. Explain  the  influence  of  geographic  features  on  the  development  of  historic  events

                                 and movements.

                          *3. Analyze  local,  regional,  national,  and  world  policies  and  problems  having  spatial

                                dimensions (e.g., acid rain and international boundaries; and water quality affected by

                                 run-off from poultry and hog farms).