Geo+Stds

Iowa Core Curriculum Geography Stand

Grades 6-8

 * Essential Concepts and/or Skills **

[|Understand the use of geographic tools to locate and analyze information about people, places, and environments.]
 * Understand the characteristics and purposes of geographic tools and representations of the earth such as maps, globes, graphs, charts, models, grid systems, aerial and other photographs, GIS, satellite-produced images and databases.
 * Understand mental maps of locales, regions and the world.
 * Understand geographic relationships such as population density and spatial distribution patterns

[|Understand how geographic and human characteristics create culture and define regions.]
 * Understand human and physical characteristics of place.
 * Understand the concept of region.
 * Understand the physical environment affects life in different regions.
 * Understand communities reflect the cultural backgrounds of their inhabitants.
 * Understand patterns of cultural diffusion.

[|Understand how human factors and the distribution of resources affect the development society and the movement of populations.]
 * Understand physical and cultural patterns and their interactions, such as land use, settlement patterns, cultural transmission of customs and ideas, and ecosystem changes.
 * Understand world patterns of resource distribution and utilization.
 * Understand the role of technology in resource acquisition and use, and its impact on the environment.
 * Understand the development and widespread use of alternative energy sources have an impact on societies.
 * Understand physical and human geographic factors have influenced major historic events and movements.

[|Understand how physical processes and human actions modify the environment and how the environment affects humans.]
 * Understand human systems develop in response to conditions in the physical environment.
 * Understand major processes that shape patterns in the physical environment.
 * Understand the environmental consequences of both the unintended and intended outcomes of major technological changes in human history.
 * Understand technology influences the human capacity to modify the physical environment.
 * Understand the environmental consequences of people changing the physical environment.
 * Understand ecosystems in terms of their characteristics and ability to withstand stress caused by physical events.