Welcome to Mrs. Howe’s Geography

Class!

Agenda

• Course Outline

• Student Information Handout

• Classroom Expectations– Be True to Your Future Self

• Icebreaker

• Group Challenge

Icebreaker

• Get to know your group members and be prepared to share what you all have in common and what makes each person unique.

• Don’t go for obvious commonalities; like we’re all in grade 9 (BORING!)

• Learn everyone’s name...you will be quizzed later this week.

How the PowerPoints Work

• For many lessons in the course, key points and visuals are displayed in PowerPoint slideshows which are available on the course website www.howegeography.weebly.com.

• When reading/listening to the presentation only copy the main points (not the entire slide!); we will work on this as a class

Geography Quiz

• As a team work together to answer the trivia questions

• Write your answers on the dry erase board nice and BIG so I can read it

Question #1

• What province or territory has one of the world’s greatest deposits of dinosaur bones?

• The area near Drumheller, Alberta, is the best place to look for dinosaur bones in Canada.

Question #2

• Canada is the second largest country in the world. What country is larger in area than Canada?

• Russia is about as big as Canada and Australia combined.

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Question #3

• Which hockey team has won the Stanley Cup most often?

• The Montreal Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup 24 times, making them the winningest team in sports history.

Question #4

• Which of these materials is not mined in Canada?– gold– copper– diamonds– tin– coal

• Tin is not mined in Canada.

Question #5

• What is the name of Canada’s newest territory and its capital city?

• In 1999, the Territory of Nunavut was created, and Iqaluit was chosen as its capital city.

Question #6

• Which of these people is not Canadian?– actor Kiefer Sutherland– singer Shania Twain– actor Angelina Jolie– golfer Mike Weir– singer Avril Lavigne

• Despite her French name, Angelina Jolie was born in Los Angeles, USA.

Question #7

• Which province joined Canada in 1949?

• Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949. In 2001, the province’s name was officially changed to Newfoundland and Labrador.

and LABRADOR

Question #8

• What is the name of the longest river in Canada?

• The Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories is 4241 km long.

Question #9

• In terms of value, what is Canada’s most important export commodity?

• Cars, trucks, and auto parts are our most important exports. In 2004, we sold more than $90 billion worth—primarily to the United States.

Question #10

• In what province or territory is Canada’s highest mountain?

• Mount Logan is in Yukon Territory and stands an impressive 5959 metres above sea level.

Mind Map of Canada

• On a blank sheet of paper, draw a map of Canada as close to reality as possible. Do this on your own – without looking at other people’s maps or any reference material such as an atlas.

• On your map, label what you regard as important features, such as provinces/territories, cities, mountain ranges, and bodies of water.

Mind Map of Canada

1. Which parts of Canada do you know best?

2. Which parts of your map are most incomplete?

3. Do you feel it is important to know where places are in Canada? Explain.

What is Geography?

• Geography is the science of understanding places and spaces.– This science examines the Earth’s surface and the

processes that shape it.– Geography especially looks at the relationship

between people and the Earth’s physical environment.– To understand our relationship with the Earth,

geographers ask questions and search for answers to problems. By exploring these problems, we can make better, wiser decisions.

What is Geography?

• Geographers try to answer three questions:– Where are things located on Earth?– What are the connections between people and the

Earth?– How can we illustrate this information to understand it

better?

• Geography has two main focuses:– The Earth’s physical geography (natural things)– The Earth’s human geography (people and things

related to people such as cities)

Goals of Geography

• Developing a sense of place

• What is where, why there, and why care?