In this class, students will first be introduced to the important principles of geography, and then they will study in depth the physical and cultural geography of several regions of the world, including Canada, Latin America, and the continent of Asia. Students will learn how humans shape the environment around them, and how the environment affects the ways people live in different parts of the world. Students will investigate the issues that currently impact countries and lives in Canada, Latin America, and Asia. Finally, students will examine the historical themes and events that have shaped these regions of the world over the past few centuries.
We will begin the year in World Explorations by reviewing important countries and water bodies around the world, and by learning how to use latitude and longitude to identify specific cities. During the first weeks of school, students will be introduced to the five themes of geography (location, place, human-environment interaction, movement, regions), and they will use this framework all year long as they study the world around them. Canada is the first country students will investigate this year, focusing particularly on the important resources of Canada and its trading relationship with the United States.