SamplePages

On a map of Trinidad and Tobago: a) find the capital city and two cities in each country b) locate two examples of human land use in agriculture, industry, services, recreation and communication.

Why is it important to study geography?

It is important to study geography for several reasons.

• Understand our natural environment: geography helps us to understand how features such as mountains, rivers and oceans are formed and processes such as the water cycle.

• Understand and predict climate and weather: through geography, we can study weather and climate patterns. We can also see how human activities such as industry and air travel affect the world climate.

• Understand cultures: geography helps us to investigate the Earth and the people that live here. We can compare and understand different cultures and religions.

• Develop useful skills: studying geography helps us to develop a range of useful skills such as mapwork, data collection, information and communications technology (ICT) and problem solving.

• Open up a world of careers: geography opens up a number of different careers. This box lists some of the careers in the field of geography.

• Agriculture

• Climate change studies

• Climatology and meteorology

• Coastal, marine and hydrographic studies

• Community development

• Conservation, heritage and land management

• Environmental and social work

• Research

Exercise

• Geomorphology

• Hazard assessment and disaster management

• Market research

• Managing natural resources

• Planning (e.g. urban and social planning)

• Population studies

• Tourism

• Geographic information systems

3. Look at the map on the opposite page and compare it with a modern map or atlas. How is it different from our maps of today?

4. From the list of jobs above, suggest two jobs each from the fields of human and physical geography.

5. Look at the photograph on this page. Choose any of the careers listed and suggest what kind of work someone in that field might do in an environment like Trinidad and Tobago.

1.1

Each topic has colourful photographs and illustrations to add context and meaning.

Discussion

Have a class discussion about why you think it is important to study geography.

Discussion features allow you to work in pairs, in a group or as a class to explore the topic further.

Use cut out images from brochures, fliers, newspapers or magazines. Create a collage showing what you have learned about the importance of geography.

These are the most important new social science words in the topic. You can check their meanings in the Glossary at the end of the book.

Unit 1: Exploring the World

These lists at the end of

Questions

wood air tide power natural gas soil fresh water livestock fruit coal gold wind solar energy salt petrol fish

5. Unscramble the names of these types of pollution: a) tatinoetsfrode b) doils etwas c) yistndur

6. Identify two ways that agriculture causes land pollution.

7. Which sources of water pollution are caused mainly by: a) farmers? b) the energy sector? c) daily human activities? a) chromium b) forests c) clay

8. Where in Trinidad and Tobago can you find the following natural resources?

9. Why are the forests important to Trinidad and Tobago?

10. Which is the longest river in Trinidad? How long is it and which sea does it flow into?

11. Write your own definitions for: a) natural environment b) physical environment.

12. Explain why our rivers and forests are important as: a) a source of natural resources, and b) a system to protect natural resources. b) Choose one type and describe how it can have negative effects on the environment. resources, give at least two uses: a) oil b) natural gas c) gypsum

13. Trace a map of Trinidad and Tobago from an atlas. Mark on your map four places where we find natural resources.

14. Do the positive consequences of using our natural resources outweigh the negative consequences? Write an essay in which you outline the main positive and negative consequences of using our positive resources in order to explain your view.

15. a) Identify the three main types of pollution.

16. Suggest an alternative that farmers could use instead of chemical fertilizer.