Introduction to Geography

Introduction

In Primary school, you learnt Social Studies, which consists of geography and other subjects. In this chapter, you are going to learn the meaning of geography and the importance of studying it. This will help you make proper plans for using your environment and to give advice to other people about occupations and careers related to geography.

What is Geography?

Activity 1.1: Exploring our environment

Go outside and do the following:

1. Observe and draw a sketch diagram of the area. Then name all the things you can see in the area.
2. Draw a table to divide the things you have written into natural things and those made by people.
3. Discuss the way you have classified the things in the table and make some changes where necessary.
4. As a class, display the field diagrams you have drawn, the names of features in the area and the table you have made. Comment on each group’s work and ask each other questions.
5. Share your views on what you understand by the environment.

You have found out that the area around your school has both natural things and things made by people. All these things are called our surroundings or environment. The natural things make up our physical environment. All things made by people make up the human environment.

Activity 1.2: Finding out how the environment affects us

In pairs, study Figure 1.1 and do the following:
1. In your notebook, write down the natural and human features shown in each photograph.
2. Explain how the human activities carried out in each picture are related to the natural environment.

3. In what ways do you think human activities in each picture affect the natural environment?
4. Present what you have written to the rest of the class and comment on each other’s work.

(a)                                                                                                  (b)

Figure 1.1: Photographs showing the geography of different places

All that you have written about each picture in Figure 1.1 above is the geography of the area where the picture was taken. So when we study geography, we are interested in understanding how the environment affects our lives and how we affect it.

Activity 1.3: Understanding the meaning of geography

1. In groups, search the internet or carry out library research about what geography is.
2. Write a brief definition and description, and share these with other groups through a class discussion.
3. After agreeing on the meaning of geography, make corrections in your work if necessary.

Branches of Geography

You have learnt that in geography we study the natural and human environments and how these affect our lives. So geography has two branches, namely physical geography and human geography.

Activity 1.4: Exploring the nature of geography

Individually, study the list below showing things in our environment. Copy and fill in the table to show which branch of geography studies each of these things.

Things in our environment: towns and cities, weather and climate, roads, rocks, hills and mountains, railways, farms, soils, mines, fisheries, factories, vegetation, rivers, lakes.

In the above activity, you have realised that each branch of geography deals with a different environment. Think of other things which may be studied in each branch of geography. Make a list and share it with your classmates.

The Value of Studying Geography

Activity 1.5: Relating geography to your own life

In groups:
1. Discuss how studying geography may benefit you, your community and country.
2. Write down the benefits in your notebooks.
3. Discuss what you have written with other groups.

Studying geography has several benefits.

You will find out more about the value of the subject as you study it.

How the Environment Affects Us

You are probably aware that most of the things we do in the places where we live depend mainly on the environment we live in. You are going to understand this better as you end this chapter.

Activity 1.6: Exploring how you relate with the environment

1. Identify and make a list of the ways you and your family use the environment around your home.
2. How do the activities you carry out affect the local environment?
3. Think of any other place you know or you have read about where people use the environment in ways which are different from those in which you use it. What kind of environment is in that place, and how is it different from the one where you live?
4. Write a plan for caring for and conserving the natural environment in your home area so that it remains useful to you and the people who will live there in future.
5. In a discussion, share your action plan with the rest of the class so that you comment on each other’s views.

Chapter Summary

In this chapter, you have learnt that:
1. Geography deals with studying how we are related to our environment.
2. The environment is all the physical and built features around us.
3. Geography has two branches: physical geography and human geography.
4. Studying geography benefits you, your community and the country.
5. Most of the things we do, including the economic activities we carry out, are mainly influenced by the natural environment.
6. Our activities can affect the environment negatively.
7. We need to use our environment wisely so that it remains useful to us.