American History

Geography

Places and Regions

Grade-Level Expectation:

2. Explain how physical features and climate affected migration, settlement patterns, and land use in the United States through 1877 (G-1B-M1)

Standard:

GEOGRAPHY: Physical and Cultural Systems

Students develop a spatial understanding of Earth’s surface and the processes that shape it, the connections between people and places, and the relationship between man and his environment.

FOCUS

Geography, the study of the spatial aspects of human existence, enables students to find answers to questions about the world around them. A geographically informed person sees, understands, and appreciates the connections among people, places, and environments.

Understanding these connections requires an acute awareness of space, which can be identified in terms of location, distance, direction, pattern, shape, and arrangement. With a strong grasp of geography, students will be prepared to understand issues and solve problems in the contemporary world. The standards and benchmarks contained in this strand should be applied throughout the social studies curriculum.