A3. Understanding Geographic Context: Settlement Patterns and Trends
Specific Expectations
A3.1
identify significant spatial patterns in human settlement on a global scale (e.g., linear, scattered, and clustered patterns in populations in different regions; global patterns in population density and/or distribution)
- What is the difference between population distribution and population density? How do you calculate population density?
- When you look at these aerial photographs, what settlement patterns can you identify? Is the pattern in this region clustered or linear?
- Where on this map do you see the greatest concentration of settlements? Where is the population the sparsest?
A3.2
identify and describe some ways in which the physical environment can influence the general location and patterns of human settlements (e.g., the impact of factors such as climate, soil, and topography on the location of agricultural settlements; the impact of physical features on urban development; the importance of water for transportation, irrigation, industry, personal use; the existence of natural resources and the development of resource towns; the type of buildings erected in an area prone to earthquakes)
- What type of physical environment is most conducive to agriculture?
- What can happen to a resource town once the resource on which its economy depends has been depleted?
A3.3
identify significant land-use issues (e.g., competition for land for agriculture, industry, housing, transportation, recreation, wilderness areas; land claims by indigenous groups; development in ecologically sensitive areas), and describe responses of various groups to these issues (e.g., municipal, state/provincial/regional, and/or national governments; local residents; environmental, indigenous, or grassroots groups; non-governmental organizations)
- When there is competition for land, what can stakeholders do to try to ensure their voices are heard? Are some stakeholders more likely than others to be heard? Why might that be the case?
- What criteria should be used to make a decision when the same space might be used for agriculture, recreation, conservation, or a new housing development?
A3.4
identify and describe significant current trends in human settlement (e.g., the global trend of increased migration from rural to urban areas; trends in some countries of people moving from major cities to smaller towns; loss of natural habitat as human settlement expands; urban sprawl; land reclamation)
- Why did Kobe, Japan, create new islands for settlement? Have other countries and/or cities used this form of land reclamation?
- Why is there a global phenomenon of people moving to urban centres?
A3.5
describe various ways in which human settlement has affected the environment (e.g., water pollution from industry, agriculture, human waste; air pollution from vehicle and industrial emissions; soil contamination from pesticides, industrial byproducts, garbage dumps; deforestation and loss of habitat from expanding settlement; loss of agricultural land to urban sprawl; light pollution from large cities; disruption of migratory routes of different species; desertification from unsustainable agricultural practices)
- What environmental challenges does a large city pose?
- What impact does urban sprawl have on the environment?
- How has the need to feed growing populations affected the environment?
A3.6
describe some practices that individuals and communities have adopted to help make human settlements more sustainable (e.g., reducing water use, increasing recycling and composting, limiting the construction of housing on land that could be used for agriculture, using public transit, planting and maintaining trees)
- What lessons can we learn about sustainable living from the Swedish city of Växjö, which is generally considered to be Europe’s greenest city? What are some sustainable practices used in other countries?
- What is ‘greywater’? How do some communities use it to help reduce water consumption?
A3.7
demonstrate the ability to analyse and construct choropleth maps on topics related to human settlement (e.g., population density, availability or use of agricultural land, spending on transportation)
- What is a choropleth map? What conventions do such maps use?
- What type of information is conveyed in a legend of a choropleth map? Why is it important to read the legend carefully before trying to interpret the map?
- Why might it sometimes be more appropriate to depict a pattern on a choropleth map rather than to describe it in writing?