ENGLISH
SOCIAL SCIENCE
GEOGRAPHY
Submitted
to English Social Science Assignment as a Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the subject
Created
by:
Group
6
Mila Marliana 11221152
Mia Sumiati 11221160
Deni 11221180
SEKOLAH TINGGI KEGURUAN DAN ILMU
PENDIDIKAN
(STKIP) GARUT
2014
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1.General
Background
Social studies are the integrated study of the
social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence. The primary
purposes of social studies are to help young people develop the ability to make
informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as the citizens of a
culturally diverse, democratic, society in an interdependent world. (Stahl
& Hartoonian, 2003)
Social science is a major branch
of social studies, and a major category of academic
disciplines, concerned with society and the
relationships among individuals within a society. It in turn has many branches,
each of which is considered a "social science". The main social
sciences include economics, political
science, demographics and sociology.
In a wider sense, social science also includes amongst its branches some fields
in the humanities such as
anthropology, archaeology, geography, history, law and linguistics.
Based
on the statement above, geography is mentioned as one of the branches of social
science. Geography as a discipline can be split broadly into two main sub
fields: human geography and physical geography.
The former focuses largely on the built environment and how space is created,
viewed and managed by humans as well as the influence humans have on the space
they occupy. This may involve cultural geography, transportation, health, military operations,
and cities. The latter
examines the natural environment and how the climate, vegetation and
life, soil, oceans, water
and landforms are
produced and interact. Physical geography examines
phenomena related to the measurement
of earth. As a result of the two subfields using different
approaches a third field has emerged, which is environmental geography.
Environmental geography combines physical and human geography and looks at the
interactions between the environment and humans. Other branches
of geography include social
geography, regional geography,
and geomatics.
Geographers
attempt to understand the earth in
terms of physical and spatial relationships. The first geographers focused on
the science of map making and finding ways
to precisely project the
surface of the earth. In this sense, geography bridges some gaps between the
natural sciences and social sciences. Historical geography is
often taught in a college in a unified Department of Geography.
Modern
geography is an all-encompassing discipline, closely related to GISc
that seeks to understand humanity and its natural environment. The fields
of urban planning, regional
science, and planetology are
closely related to geography. Practitioners of geography use many technologies
and methods to collect data such as GIS, remote
sensing, aerial photography, statistics,
and global positioning systems (GPS).
The
explanation about geography above is too broad for us because we do not study
about geography totally in our college. To make it more clearly and
understandable for English students, here, in this paper, it will be explained
about the definition of geography and five themes of geography include
location, place, region, human environment interaction, and movement. In this
lesson you will learn how important geography is in everyday life. This study will
encourage you to understand your own place and spaces with greater interest.
1.2.
Purpose of The Study
1.
The students will know the definition of
geography.
2.
The students will know about themes of
geography.
3.
After learning about geography, the
students are expected to save and love their environment.
CHAPTER II
CONTENT
2.1. Definition of Geography
What is geography? Do you still
remember about geography? Maybe some people will answer
those questions and define geography as the study of the earth and the people
on it or geography is the study of
Earth’s landscapes, peoples, places and environments. Such definitions
are not wrong because there are so many definitions about geography.
Many
famous geographers and non-geographers have attempted the discipline in a few
short words. The concept of geography has also changed throughout the ages,
making a definition for such a dynamic and all-encompassing subject difficult.
Here are some ideas about geography according to some experts:
Gregg
Wassmandorf, 1995 stated that geography is the study of the pattern and
processes of human (built) and environmental (natural) landscapes, where
landscapes comprise real (objective) and perceived (subjective) space.
Geography is the study to understand earth as the world of man (J.O.M Broek,
1965). While others experts stated that geography is the knowledge about
similarities and differences in the symptoms and the nature of life on earth (
geosphere symptoms) as well as the interaction between humans and their
environment in the context of spatial and territorial.
In
brief, geography is one of the oldest earth science and its roots date back in
the works of the early Greek scholars. The word ‘geography’ was first used by
the Greek scholar Eratosthenes in the third century B.C.
Geo
“Earth” and “Graphy” to “describe” literal meaning of geography is to describe about
the earth’s surfaces. In other words “Geography is largely the study of the interaction
of all physical and human phenomena and landscapes created by such interactions.”
It is about how, why, and where human and natural activities occur and how
these activities are interconnected.
Geography
is concerned with place. Understanding the nature and causes of areal
differentiation on the global surface has been the geographer’s task since
people first noticed differences between places. Through geography we seek to
understand these differences in pattern of human distribution,
interrelationships between human society and the physical environment, people’s
use of the Earth in time and space, and how these differences are related to
people’s cultures and economies. These, and other related themes, express major
concerns of our time and reflect the consequences of spatial decisions.
In
conclusion, geography is the study of places and the relationships between
people and their environments. Geographers explore both the physical properties
of Earth’s surface and the human societies spread across it. They also examine
how human culture interacts with the natural environment and the way that
location and places can have an impact on people. Geography seeks to understand
where things are found, why they are there, and how they develop and change
over time.
2.2. Five Themes of Geography
Geography
is unique in bridging the social sciences (human geography) with the natural
sciences (physical geography). Human geography concerns the understanding of
the dynamics of cultures, societies and economies, and physical geography
concerns the understanding of the dynamics of physical landscapes and the
environment.
Geography
puts this understanding of social and physical processes within the context of
places and regions - recognizing the great differences in cultures, political
systems, economies, landscapes and environments across the world, and the links
between them. Understanding the causes of differences and inequalities between
places and social groups underlie much of the newer developments in human
geography.
Geography
provides an ideal framework for relating other fields of knowledge. It is not
surprising that those trained as geographers often contribute substantially to
the applied management of resources and environments.
Geography
is, in the broadest sense, an education for life and for living. Learning
through geography – whether gained through formal learning or experientially
through travel, fieldwork and expeditions – helps us all to be more socially
and environmentally sensitive, informed and responsible citizens and employees.
Geography
is more than memorizing names and places. Geographers organize space in much
the same way that historians organize time. To help organize space, geographers
are concerned with asking three important questions about things in the world:
·
Where is it?
·
Why is it there?
·
What are the consequences of its being
there?
The
five themes of geography help answer these questions:
· Location:
Where is it located?
· Place:
What's it like there?
· Human/Environment
Interaction: What is the relationship between humans and their environment?
· Movement:
How and why are places connected with one another?
· Regions:
How and why is one area similar to another?
1.
Location:
Position on Earth's Surface
Location of a place is defined
according to its latitude and longitude. Latitude lines measure distances north
and south of the Equator. Longitude lines measure distances east and west of
the Prime Meridian.
A place's absolute location is
defined with latitude and longitude lines. This is its exact location.
Absolute
location is nothing more than a simple dot--often identified as a grid coordinate
on the surface of the earth. Latitude and longitude can be used to pinpoint a
location. For example, the absolute location of New Orleans, Louisiana, is 30
degrees north, 90 degrees west. Finding absolute location is the starting point
for geographic research.
The
geography theme of location can also deal with relative location. Relative
location means how a place is related or connected to other places through
water, land, or technology. For example, New Orleans is located at the place
where the Mississippi River empties into the Gulf of Mexico, which gives it
easy access to ocean and river shipping. Your home has a relative location.
Where is it located in relation to schools, stores, and convenient
transportation?
Location
is only one piece of the framework of geography, yet it is an important theme
because it helps us know and express where things are.
2.
Place: Physical and Human Characteristics
The
theme of place addresses this question: What's it like there? This theme considers
the characteristics that make one place different from all other places on
earth. Geographers describe a place by two kinds of characteristics; physical
and human. The physical characteristics of a place make up its natural
environment and are derived from geological, hydrological, atmospheric, and
biological processes. They include land forms, bodies of water, climate, soils,
natural vegetation, and animal life.
The
human characteristics of a place come from human ideas and actions. They
include bridges houses, and parks. Human characteristics of place also include
land use, density of population, language patterns, religion, architecture, and
political systems.
The
theme of place helps flesh out information about location. Taken together, the themes
of location and place provide a basis for observation in geography. These themes
can be used to help answer the first two questions of geography: Where is it?
and Why is it there? With a sense of physical and human place, we can read the landscape
around us and make observations about what we see. We’ll explore more about
physical and human places when we look at the theme of region.
3.
Regions: How they Form and Change
A
region is a basic unit of geographic study. It is defined as an area that has
unifying characteristics. The study of regions helps us answer these questions:
How and why is one area similar to another? How do the areas differ? Most
regions differ significantly from adjoining areas.
Some
regions are distinguished by physical characteristics. Physical characteristics
include land forms, climate, soil, and natural vegetation. For example, the
peaks and valleys of the Rocky Mountains form a physical region. Some regions
are distinguished by human characteristics. These may include economic, social,
political, and cultural characteristics. The highly urbanized Northeast Corridor
between Boston and Washington, D.C. can be considered a human region.
Other
regions are combinations of physical and human characteristics, for example,
the South, Scandinavia, and the Midwest.
Boundaries
between regions can be vague. Regions are generally thought of as large areas,
such as the Corn Belt in the Midwestern United States or sub-Saharan Africa.
Overhead transparencies will help the teacher demonstrate that a region can be
as small as a classroom learning center, a neighborhood, an industrial park, or
a recreational area.
4.
Human/Environment Interaction:
Shaping the Landscape
The
physical and human characteristics of a place provide keys to understanding the
interrelationships between people and their environments. This geographic theme
addresses this question: What is the relationship between humans and the environment?
Three key concepts underlie human/environment relationships:
•
Humans depend on the environment: The natural environment
is made up of living things and non-living things. Humans depend on the natural
environment for their basic needs; food, shelter, and clothing.
•
Humans modify the environment: People modify the
natural environment to meet their needs. For example, they build dams, plow and
irrigate fields, and dig mines. They build houses, schools, and shopping centers
on land.
•
Humans adapt to the environment: Humans have settled in virtually
every corner of the world by successfully adapting to various natural settings.
For example, people who live in the northeastern United States use heating
units to keep their homes warm in winter People in the southern part of the
country use air conditioning much of the year to stay cool in the heat. The
ways people choose to adapt to their settings reflect their economic and
political circumstances and their technological abilities. Studying geography
furthers appreciation of our natural environment and of our cultural
differences.
5.
Movement: Humans Interacting on the
Earth
People are always on the move, but
this theme of geography is not just about people moving from one place to
another in cars and airplanes. Movement also deals with how and why people
travel from one place to another. Some people travel for career, others to be
close to family, and some move to escape war or religious persecution. One
example of movement was pioneers heading West on the Oregon Trail.
Geographers also study how products and resources are transported
from one region or place to another. This includes manufactured products,
crops, and oil. For example, a tractor-trailer delivering oranges from Florida
to New York, or a boat delivering a shipment of coffee from Africa to Europe.
In addition, movement of ideas is also studied. With the advent of
technology such as the phone and internet, ideas such as fashion, fads, music
and philosophical ideologies are exchanged rapidly from all areas of the globe.
Languages also evolve and change based on influence from outside ideas and
other languages.
No
one theme can be understood without the others. The themes are connected with
one another, as are all components of our world. No part of our world can be
understood in isolation. The five themes of geography are used in social
studies and history lessons throughout the school year. You need to be familiar
with each theme of geography, provide examples of each, and understand its
importance.
CHAPTER III
CONCLUSION
In
conclusion, geography is the study of places and the relationships between
people and their environments. Geographers explore both the physical properties
of Earth’s surface and the human societies spread across it. They also examine
how human culture interacts with the natural environment and the way that
location and places can have an impact on people. Geography seeks to understand
where things are found, why they are there, and how they develop and change
over time.
Geography
has five themes. Those themes are location, place, region, human environment
interaction, and movement. Each theme cannot be separated each other. We should
understand it and use it in our social life.
REFERENCES
Briggs, Ken, 1082, Human Geography: Concepts and Application. London:
Hodder and Stoughton.
Enok Maryani, 2007, “Pendidikan
Geografi” dalam “Ilmu dan Aplikasi
Pendidikan”, Mohamad Ali dkk. Bandung: Pedagogiana Press.
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