Study Guides and Outline Notes

Study Guide on Geography and the Global Ecosystem
View or Print the Study Guide
 
Study Guide For Earth's Reference Grid and Geographer's Tools
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PowerPoint Presentation Outline Notes
View or Print Introduction to Geography Outline Notes
 
View or Print Global Ecosystem Outline Notes

Study Questions

World Wide Web Exploration
View or Print the Study Questions

Practice Quizzes

Test your knowledge of geography and the global ecosystem after exploring the Web sites.
 

Geography Multiple Choice Quiz
 
The Global Ecosystem Multiple Choice Quiz

Quizzes, Tarbuck and Lutgens, Key Concepts 1, 2, 3, and 7

Geography on the World Wide Web

What is Geography?
A simple summary statement from the Royal Geographic Society. Take a look at the rest of this site.

What do Geographers Do?
Find out from the American Association of Geographers what you can do if you major in geography. This professional association provides a comprehensive list of careers in geography and tells you what you need to get an internship and find a good job.

Geographic Learning
The American Association of Geographers (AAG) presents a brief explanation of this exciting discipline and its connection with sustainable development.

National Geography Standards
The National Council on Geographic Education (NGCE) presents the Eighteen National Standard Framework that should guide geography in schools. Did you learn these in school?

Mini Tutorials On The Global Ecosystem

The Food Chain as an Example of a System
How does solar energy move through the food chain?

Introduction to the Ecosystem Concept
Learn more about the flows of energy and matter in an ecosystem.

The Carbon Cycle
Learn how carbon, "the building block of life", constantly recycles between the earth, the atmosphere, the oceans, and the biosphere.

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GEOGRAPHER'S TOOLS

Maps on the World Wide Web

Understanding Map Projections
Check this site for an overview of the many different map projections that are used in cartography.

Microsoft Maps and Aerial Photographs
Find detailed maps and photographs for any place in the United States. Explore your neighborhood at the highest resolution. Compare the photograph with the topographic map.

National Atlas - Map Maker
Make your own map using a simplified geographic information system (GIS). Scroll down to display detailed map layers showing the natural and sociocultural landscapes of the United States. Check out Dynamic Maps for novel map applications such as Potentially Active Volcanoes of Washington.

Color Landform Atlas of the United States
Find shaded relief maps of every state in the United States.

Outline Maps
To print and copy outline maps of countries of the world use National Geographic's online Xpeditions Atlas.

Google Earth
This Web site is a geographer's paradise! Satellite imagery from the whole world can be explored here after a free download.

NASA's World Wind
NASA's World Wind lets you zoom from satellite altitude into any place on Earth. Using Landsat satellite imagery and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission data, World Wind lets you experience Earth terrain in visually rich 3D, just as if you were really there. Virtually visit any place in the world. Look across the Andes, look into the Grand Canyon, look over the Alps, or along the African Sahara.
 
To explore NASA's World Wind, you need to download this program.

Digital Flights
Enjoy digital flights over the landscapes of California, the Western United States, and the world, presented by William Bowen of the California Geographic Alliance and Cal State University, at Northridge.


WorldMapper
The world as you've never seen it before. View the nations of the world resized to show the relative size of their population, land area, income, age of death, and many other characteristics.

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GEOGRAPHER'S TOOLS (Continued)

Geographical Information Systems (GIS)

What is GIS?
You can learn about the most common systems of GIS used in business, government, and education. You can also download ArcGIS Explorer and other resources from this site.

What is GIS? POSTER
This is a well-illustrated and clearly explained resource about GIS from the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Careers In GIS
Learn about GIS, who uses GIS, and opportunities for careers in GIS.

Global Positioning Systems and Remote Sensing

Global Positioning Systems
This is an explanation about the United States space-based radio navigation system. It is available for anyone with a GPS receiver including cell phones. Satellites provide three-dimensional location (latitude, longitude, and altitude) plus the time of day.
You can also learn about the many applications that use this technology.


 

TERRA, The Earth Observing System (EOS) Flagship
The Terra spacecraft is on a 15 year mission to observe the impacts of human activities on our planet. Explore this site to find what has been learned since it first began its mission in February 2000. There are valuable links from this site to other space based missions and the tools used by the spacecraft to measure Earth's changes.

GOES Project Science
Surf current North American and global images from geosynchronous (geostationary) weather satellites. View movies of current weather as seen from the GOES West Satellite.

NOAA Environmental Visualization Laboratory
The images posted on the Environmental Visualization Laboratory website are created from NOAA satellite data, including GOES and POES spacecraft. They include animations of such important events as the volcanic ash plumes from Iceland and the spread of oil in the Gulf of Mexico. You can also display real time data for the whole Earth for such topics as Snow and Ice Concentration, Ozone Concentration, Current Sea Surface Temperature, Drought Risk, and Land Surface Temperature.

Landsat
The Landsat Earth Observing Satellite mission provides the longest continuous global record of the Earth's Surface. Operated jointly by the USGS (United States Geological Survey) and NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) it provides visually stunning and scientifically valuable images of our planet.

General World Wide Web Exploration in Physical Geography

The Web sites shown here will be useful throughout the course.  Do not attempt to explore them all at once or you will become a webaholic!  They are research tools.

Elemental Geosystems The Online Companion Website
This textbook Web site provides quizzes, links to other interesting Web sites, and updates to the textbook.
You will have to log into this site with your textbook key or buy online access.

Earth from Space
Have you ever wanted to travel in a spaceship?  This NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Web site provides an overview of the earth from space.  It gives you a good sense of what geography is about.  You can visit each of the locations shown here.

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Earth Observatory
This NASA Earth Observatory site combines current satellite images with in-depth discussion of environmental issues. This is a great starting point for term paper research. Click on each of the Earth's spheres for dozens of articles and images exploring what is happening in the global ecosystem.

Earth As Art
View the beauty of the landscape and clouds as viewed from the Landsat-7 satellite miles above the earth.

Earth Pulse:  A Visual Guide to Global Trends
Explore the human condition, globalization, and our relationship with nature at this site sponsored by National Geographic.

Online Glossary for Physical Geography
Having a tough time with the vocabulary of physical geography? This Web site created by Dr. Michael Pidwirny, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia Okanagan, will make sense of all that terminology.

Fundamentals of Physical Geography Online Textbook
Want to learn more? Dr. Michael Pidwirny has created a high level online textbook.

Resources for Earth Science and Geography
Explore this comprehensive Web site with links to the worlds of earth science and geography.

Globe Project
This is a NOAA (National Oceanic and Aeronautics Administration) National Data Center Images and Maps of the Earth and various continents.

USGS (United States Geological Survey) in the San Francisco Bay Area
This is a wonderful resource for information about the Bay Area physical environment. Explore spectacular satellite imagery of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Internet Resources for Geography and Geology
This is a comprehensive and eclectic set of resources that includes virtual field trips, multimedia, links to government data and resources, and environmental information.

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Created by Rita D. Haberlin, Geography Professor
rhaberlin@peralta.edu
or rhaberlin@aol.com
Peralta Community College District
333 East Eighth Street
Oakland, CA 94606
www.Peralta.edu