Unit + 1 - Introduction to World Cultures and + Geography
+ Chapter + 1 - Welcome to the World
+
+ Focus on Geography
+How have geographic features influenced settlement + patterns?
+
+ Movement • People settle where they can most easily and comfortably meet their + needs for clean water, food, work, communication, trade, and transportation. Before + there were good roads, boats were the easiest way to travel or send and receive goods. + As a result, people often settled near rivers, lakes, and oceans. They also often + settled where the land was suitable for cultivation, and the climate was comfortable. + You will not find many cities in the frozen wastelands of Siberia.
+ +Reading Social Studies
Before You Read
-
+
- What Do You Know? +
- You live in the world, but how much do you know about it? The best way to find + out is through social studies. Social studies is an umbrella term. It covers + history, geography, economics, government, and culture. History, you probably + know, is the study of the past. How clearly can you define the other terms? + How do you think they can help you to learn about the world? +
- What Do You Want to Know? +
- Think about what else you need to know before you can come up with clear, + complete, and accurate definitions. Record any questions you have in a + notebook before you read this chapter. +
Read and Take Notes
+Reading Strategy: Categorizing
+One way to make sense of information is to organize it in a chart. Writing your + notes in a chart with categories can help you remember the most important parts of + what you have read.
+-
+
- Copy the chart below into your notebook. +
- As you read the chapter, note the definition of each term listed on the + chart. +
- Write these definitions next to the appropriate heading. +
| Term | +Definition | +
|---|---|
| history | ++ |
| geography | ++ |
| economics | ++ |
| government | ++ |
| culture | ++ |
+ 
+ Section + 1 - The World at Your Fingertips
+The Peoples of the World
+For centuries, people in different parts of the world have been trying to get along + with one another, not always with success. Part of the problem is a lack of + understanding of other peoples ways of life. Advances in communication and + transportation, such as the Internet and high-speed planes, have brought people + closer together. So have increased international trade and immigration. Knowledge + of other societies is the key to understanding them.
+Learning About the World
+Social studies is a way to learn about the world. It draws on information from five + fields of learning, geography, history, economics, government, and culture. Each + field looks at the world from a different angle. Consider the approaches you might + use if you were starting at a new school. Figuring out how to get around would be + learning your school's geography. Asking other students where they come from is + learning their history. Making choices about which school supplies you can afford + to buy is economics. Learning the school rules is learning about its government. + Clubs, teams, styles of clothing, holidays, and even ways of saying things are + part of the school's culture.
+
+ History and Geography
+Knowing history and geography helps orient you in time + and space. History is a record of the + past. The people and events of the past shaped the world as it is today. + Historians search for primary sources, such as newspapers, letters, journals, and + other documents, to find out about past events.
+ +++ ++ A Voice From Today +
+How can we know who we are and where we are going if we don't know anything + about where we have come from and what we have been through, the courage + shown, the costs paid, to be where we are?
+ + David McCullough, Historian + +
The Five Themes of Geography
+Geography is the study of people, places, and + the environment. Geography deals with the world in spatial terms. The study of + geography focuses on five themes: location, region, place, movement, and + human-environment interaction.
+ +Location tells where a place is. Several countries that have features in common + form a region. Place considers an area's distinguishing characteristics. + Movement is a study of the migrations of people, animals, and even plants. + Human-environment interaction considers how people change and are changed by + the natural features of Earth.
+
+ 
+ 
+ 
+ 
+ Government
+Every country has laws and a way to govern itself. Laws are the rules by which + people live. Government is the people + and groups within a society that have the authority to make laws, to make sure + they are carried out, and to settle disagreements about them. The kind of + government determines who has the authority to make the laws and see that they are + carried out.
+ +Limited and Unlimited Governments
+In a limited government, everyone, including those in charge, must obey the + laws. Some of the laws tell the government what it cannot do. Democracy is a + form of limited government. In a democracy the people have the authority to + make the laws, either directly or through their elected representatives. The + governments of the United States, Mexico, and India are examples of democratic + governments.
+Rulers in an unlimited government can do whatever they want without regard to + the law. Totalitarianism is a form of unlimited government. In a totalitarian government the people have no say. + Rulers have total control.
+ +Citizenship
+A citizen is a legal member of a + country. Citizens have rights, such as the right to vote in elections, and + duties, such as paying taxes. Being born in a country can make you a citizen. + Another way is to move to a country, complete certain requirements, and take + part in a naturalization ceremony.
+
+ Economics
+Looking at the long list of flavors at the ice cream store, you have a decision to + make. You have only enough money for one cone. Will it be mint chip or bubble gum + flavor? You will have to choose. Economics is the study of how people manage their resources by + producing, exchanging, and using goods and services. Economics is about + choice.
+Some economists claim that people's desires are unlimited. Resources to satisfy + these desires, however, are limited. These economists refer to the conflict + between people's unlimited desires and limited resources as scarcity.
+Resources
+Resources Economists identify three types of resources: natural, human, and + capital. Natural resources are gifts of nature, such as forests, fertile soil, + and water. Human resources are skills people have to produce goods and + services. Capital resources are the tools people make, such as machines and + equipment, to produce goods and services.
+ +Kinds of Economics
+Blue jeans are a product. Who decides whether to make them and how many to make and + what price to charge? In a command economy, the government decides. In a market + economy, individual businesses decide, based on what they think consumers + want.
+ +Levels of Development
+Different countries and regions have different levels of economic development. + In a country with a high level of development, most people are well educated, + have good health, and earn decent salaries. Services such as clean running + water, electricity, and transportation are plentiful. Technology is advanced, + and businesses flourish.
+ +A country with a low level of development is marked by few jobs in industry, + poor services, and low literacy rates. Life expectancy is low. These countries are often + called developing countries.
+ + +Culture
+Some people wear saris. Others wear T-shirts. Some people eat cereal and milk for + breakfast. Others eat pickled fish. Some people go to church on Sunday morning. + Others kneel and pray to Allah five times a day. All these differences are + expressions of culture. Culture + consists of the beliefs, customs, laws, art, and ways of living that a group of + people share.
+ +Religion is part of most cultures; so is a shared language. The ways people express + themselves through music, dance, literature, and the visual arts are important + parts of every culture; so are the technology and tools they use to accomplish + various tasks. Each kind of food, clothing, or technology, each belief, language, + or tool shared by a culture is called a culture trait. Taken together, the culture traits of a people shape + their way of life.
+Section 1 Assessment
+Terms & Names
+1. Identify:
+-
+
- history +
- geography +
- government +
- citizen +
- economics +
- scarcity +
- culture +
- cultural trait +
Taking Notes
+2. Use a chart like this one to list the five themes of geography and their + characteristics.
+ +| Theme | +Characteristics | +
|---|---|
| + | + |
| + | + |
| + | + |
| + | + |
| + | + |
Main Ideas
+3.
+-
+
- What five areas of learning does social studies include? +
- What are the three main kinds of resources, and how is each one defined? +
- What is the difference between limited and unlimited government? +
Critical Thinking
++ 4. Making Inferences +
+Does the United States have a shared or common, culture?
+Think About
+-
+
- What you eat and wear, where you live, how you spend your free time +
- Who else shares these activities with you +
Interdisciplinary Challenge
+Investigate Your World
+Suppose that someone has given you a globe as a gift. What a great present! Unlike + a flat map, your globe gives you a more accurate view of the world. Best of all, + this new globe is programmable. You can input new information about different + features and places on Earth. In fact, the manufacturer has set up a contest, the + Global Game, giving prizes for the best and most creative approaches to + programming the globe. Good luck!
+COOPERATIVE LEARNING
+On these pages are challenges you will meet in trying to win the Global Game. + Working with a small group, choose which one you want to solve. Divide the work + among group members. Look for helpful information in the Data File. Keep in mind + that you will present your solution to the class.
+History/Economics Challenge
+"... you want to know more about the world closer to home"
+Now that your globe has shown you the worldwide picture, you want to know more + about the world closer to home. How has geography influenced the history of + your community? What features or resources brought settlers there? Choose one + of these options. Look in the Data File for information.
+ACTIVITIES
+-
+
- Make a time line of major events in the growth of your community. If + possible, begin with the Native Americans who originally inhabited the + area. Include the arrival of immigrants from various places. +
- Draw or trace an outline of your state. Then make a thematic map of its + major products and industries. Use words or symbols (such as a cow, a + factory, a computer) and create a map key to identify each product. +
+ 
+ 
+ 
+ Language Arts Challenge
+"... you are taken on an audio journey to new places"
+Your new globe has built-in sensors activated by a laser wand. When you point + the wand at a spot on the globe, you are taken on an audio journey to new + places. The sound clip introduces you to a place's culture, the things that + make it unique.
+As part of the Global Game, the manufacturer is looking for new ways to present + this information. What will you include in your approach? How can you add to + the globe's popular appeal? Choose one of these options. Look in the Data File + for help.
+Activities
+-
+
- Choose one continent and write a script about it for a seven-minute "audio + journey". Remember to include information about geographic features as + well as aspects of culture. +
- Design another geography game that the manufacturer can use to market its + globe. The game should appeal to students of your age. Write a brief + description of the game and its rules. +
Data File
+World Statistics
+-
+
- Circumference at Equator: 24,902 miles. +
- Earth's speed of orbit: 18.5 mi./sec. +
- Total area: 197,000,000 square miles; land area: 57,000,000 square + miles +
- Highest point: 29,035 feet Mount. Everest. +
- Lowest point: 35,800 feet below sea level -- Marianas Trench, Pacific + Ocean. +
- Lowest point on land: 1,302 feet below sea level, Dead Sea, + Israel. +
Highest Elevations by Continent
+-
+
- Asia: Mount. Everest, Nepal-Tibet, 29,035 feet +
- South America: Mount. Aconcagua, Argentina-Chile, 22,834 feet +
- North America: Mount. McKinley (Denali), Alaska, 20,320 feet +
- Africa: Mount. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, 19,340 feet +
- Europe: Mount. Elbrus, Russia, 18,510 feet +
- Antarctica: Vinson Massif, 16,864 feet +
- Western Europe: Mont Blanc, France, 15,771 feet +
- Australia: Mount. Kosciusko, 7,310 feet +
Some Major River Systems
+-
+
- Nile, Africa: 4,1 60 mi. +
- Amazon, South America: 4,080 mi. +
- Mississippi-Missouri, North America (U.S.): 3,740 mi. +
- Chang Jiang (Yangtze), China: 3,720 mi. +
- Yenisey, Russia: 3,650 mi. +
- Plata, South America: 3,030 mi. +
- Huang He (Yellow), China: 3,010 mi. +
- Congo (Zaire), Africa: 2,880 mi. +
Activity Wrap-Up
+As a group, review your solution to the challenge you selected. Then present + your solution to the class.
+Section 2 - Many Regions, + Many Cultures
+ + + + +Different Places, Different Cultures
+Indian soldiers and British officials belonged to cultures with different beliefs. + The British came from a region of the world where most people ate the meat of pigs + and cows. The Indians lived in a region where most people did not. A culture region is an area of the world in + which many people share similar beliefs, history, and languages. The people in a + culture region may have religion, technology, and ways of earning a living in + common as well. They may grow and eat similar foods, wear similar kinds of + clothes, and build houses in similar styles.
+
+ The World's Culture Regions
+The map above shows the major culture regions of the world. Latin America is + one culture region. The Spanish and Portuguese languages help to tie its + people together. So does its common history. Southwest Asia and North Africa + is another culture region. Most countries in this region share a common desert + climate and landscape. People have adapted to the desert in similar ways, thus + creating a common culture. Islam, which is the major religion in this region, + also helps shape a common culture.
+Usually, not every person in a region belongs to the dominant, or mainstream, + culture. Some regions are multicultural. For example, the United States and + Canada contain other cultures besides the dominant one. Although most people + in this region speak English, many people in eastern Canada speak French. Many + people in the United States speak Spanish, especially in the Southwest. In + both countries, Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and members + of other religions all flourish.
+ + +Culture Regions Change
+For thousands of years, culture regions have changed and evolved as they have + borrowed culture traits from one another. They have also come to depend upon + each other economically. Decisions and events in one part of the world affect + other parts. Advances in transportation and communication have increased this + interdependence. When + oil-producing nations in the Middle East raise the price of oil, for example, + the price of gasoline at the neighborhood gas station is likely to rise. If + there is an especially abundant banana crop in parts of Latin America, the + price of bananas may drop at the local grocery store. More and more, people of + different countries are becoming part of one world.
+
+ 
+ 
+ Section 2 Assessment
+Terms & Names
+1. Identify:
+-
+
- culture region +
- interdependence +
Taking Notes
+2. Use a chart to list the major culture regions of the world.
+Major Culture Regions of the World
+-
+
- 1. +
- 2. +
- 3. +
- 4. +
- 5. +
- 6. +
- 7. +
Main Ideas
+3.
+-
+
- List at least three things people in a culture region may have in common. +
- Which continents have more than one culture region? +
- What is one cause of cultural change? +
Critical Thinking
+4. Clarifying
+Why might Brazilian coffee at your local supermarket suddenly cost more?
+Think About
+-
+
- price setting +
- coffee supplies +
Skillbuilder
+Reading a Time Zone Map
+Defining the Skill
+A time zone map shows the 24 time zones of the world. The prime meridian runs + through Greenwich (GREHN•ich), England. Each zone east of Greenwich is one hour + later than the zone before. Each zone west of Greenwich is one hour earlier. The + International Date Line runs through the Pacific Ocean. It is the location where + each day begins. If it is Saturday to the east of the International Date Line, + then it is Sunday to the west of it.
+Applying the Skill
+Use the strategies listed below to help you find times and time differences on a + time zone map.
+How to Read a Time Zone Map
+-
+
- + Strategy 1 + Read the title. It tells you what the map is intended to show. + +
- + Strategy 2 + Read the labels at the top of the map. They show the hours across the + world when it is noon in Greenwich. The labels at the bottom show the + number of hours earlier or later than the time in Greenwich. + +
- + Strategy 3 + Locate a place whose time you know. Locate the place where you want to + know the time. Count the number of time zones between them. Then add or + subtract that number of hours. For example, if it is noon time on the west + coast of Africa, you can see that it is 7:00 A.M. on the east coast of the + United States. That is a difference of five hours. + +
+ Practicing the Skill
+Practice determining the difference in hours between various time zones. For + example, if you select the yellow zone in western Asia and you live in Texas, you + will have a time difference of 11 hours. Now select one time zone in Africa, one + in Europe, and one in Australia. For each location, determine the number of hours' + difference with the time zone in which you live.
+Literature Connections
+The Giant Kuafu Chases the Sun
+From the earliest times, people have created myths and + legends to explain the natural world. Some stories explain why earthquakes occur + or lightning strikes. Others tell how rivers, deserts, canyons, and other + landforms came to be. This ancient Chinese myth, dating back at least 2,500 years, + comes from the area of northern China where Chinese civilization first began. The + myth explains how the province of Shaanxi got its mountains.
+Shaanxi, also known as Shensi, is in northern China.The southern part of the + province contains the high and rugged Qinling Range, also called the Tsinling + Mountains, where the average peak is 8,000 feet high and some are over 12,000 feet + high.
+Long ago, soon after time began, giants roamed the flat and fertile Earth. One of + the largest, bravest, and fastest of them all was named Kuafu-and his strength + knew no bounds. Every day, Kuafu watched the sun rise in the east and set in the + west.When night came, he became greatly saddened. He thought, "I do not like the + darkness. All life falls into a silent slumber. If I could catch the sun, then I + could keep night as bright as day. The plants could grow forever, and it would + always be warm. I would never have to sleep again."
+ +The next day, Kuafu stretched his legs and started to race after the sun. He ran + like the wind over several thousand miles without rest. Finally, he chased the sun + to the Yu Valley where it came to rest every day but Kuafu was thirsty and very, + very tired. His thirst grew, and soon it became overwhelming. He had never known a + thirst like this, and his body seemed to be drying up like mud bricks in an + oven.
+Kuafu found the nearest stream and drank it dry. It was not enough.With a giant's + stride, he quickly reached the mighty Yellow River. He drank it dry, but again, it + was not enough. He continued toward the Great Sea-surely it held water enough to + quench his thirst.
+On his journey, he drank dry every well and every stream and every lake he came + across. His thirst became overpowering, and Kuafu fell to the ground before he + reached the Sea. In a fit of anger, with a branch of a peach tree, he made a final + swing at the sun. But before the branch reached the sun, Kuafu died of thirst.
+The sun set in the Yu Valley, and night came. When the sun rose again, Kuafu's body + had been transformed into a mountain range. The peach tree branch extended from + his side and formed a peach tree grove.To this day, the peaches in this grove are + sweet and moist, always ready to relieve the thirst of those who would choose to + chase the sun.
+ +Chapter 1 - Assessment
Terms & Names
+Explain the significance of each of the following:
+-
+
- history +
- geography +
- government +
- citizen +
- economics +
- scarcity +
- culture +
- culture trait +
- culture region +
- interdependence +
Review Questions
+The World at Your Fingertips (pages 17-21)
+-
+
- What are the five themes of geography? +
- What are the main differences between a limited and an unlimited government? +
- How can someone become a citizen of a country? +
- What is the difference between a command economy and a market economy? +
- What are some characteristics of a culture? +
Many Regions, Many Cultures (pages 24-26)
+-
+
- How can decisions made in one part of the world affect people in another part of + the world? +
- What aspects of daily life might people in the same culture region share? +
- What makes the United States and Canada a multicultural region? +
Critical Thinking
+Remembering Definitions
+1. Using your completed chart from Reading Social Studies, p. 16, tell how + understanding the culture could help you make friends in a new country.
+Making Inferences
+2. Why might someone's life expectancy be low in a region with a low level of + development?
+Identifying Problems
+3. If countries in the Middle East stopped producing oil, how might that affect the + economy of the United States?
+ + + + +Chapter Projects
++ Interdisciplinary Activity: Art +
+Making a Poster - Research what kinds of clothing people wear in other + parts of the world. Create a poster that shows the clothing, both modern and + traditional, that different groups of people wear. Use photographs or drawings + with captions that illustrate the types of clothes.
++ Cooperative Learning Activity +
+Setting Up a Peace Conference - With a group of three to five students, + set up a peace conference to help two warring groups make peace. Choose two + specific groups and a specific issue that caused the hostility, such as harming a + cow in a Hindu society.
+-
+
- Take on the roles of intermediary and spokesperson for each group. +
- See how understanding the other group's perspective helps you agree. +
- Present your conference to the class as a skit. +