Geography

The student understands how humans adapt to variations in the physical environment. The student is expected to:

Describe and explain variations in the physical environment, including climate, landforms, natural resources, and natural hazards;

Identify and compare how people in different communities adapt to or modify the physical environment in which they live such as deserts, mountains, wetlands, and plains;

Describe the effects of physical processes such as volcanoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes in shaping the landscape;

Describe the effects of human processes such as building new homes, conservation, and pollution in shaping the landscape;

Identify and compare the human characteristics of various regions.

The student understands the concepts of location, distance, and direction on maps and globes. The student is expected to:

Use cardinal and intermediate directions to locate places on maps and globes such as the Rocky Mountains, the Mississippi River, and Austin, Texas, in relation to the local community;

Use a scale to determine the distance between places on maps and globes;

Identify and use the compass rose, grid system, and symbols to locate places on maps and globes;

Create and interpret maps of places and regions that contain map elements, including a title, compass rose, legend, scale, and grid system.