Environment Through Photographs

Why do people take photographs?

A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS…..

Geographers use photographs to help understand human and physical features.

• Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada

Why Photographs Are Important

Sources of Information

• Help us visual if we’ve never seen it

Why Photographs Are Important

Record Changes• Showing changes in growth and changes in human activity

• i.e. Jurong Industrial Estate

Why Photographs Are Important

A tool for studying the environment

• Used to study occurrences on Earth

• i.e. forest fires

Come up with 5 questions about the picture below.

Different Types of Photographs

Landscape

• Taken at ground level showing main feature

• Used to study a feature in detail

Different Types of Photographs

Aerial

• Taken from a height (airplane, tall building)

• Gives bird’s eye view

• Helps us to estimate the size of a feature or area

Different Types of Photographs

Satellite

• Show a large area of earth’s surface

• Useful for studying changes in the environment

• Recorded in “real time”– We can see the photo within

minutes after it’s taken

• i.e. meteorologist use to look for tropical storms

• Why is it important to use satellite images to monitor environment changes?

Workbook Page 29-30

BRING IN A PHOTO THAT SHOWS AN INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT

How to Read & Interpret Photographs

Step 1: Divide into 3 sections

• Divide the photo into the foreground, the middle ground, and the background to help read the photo easier

How to Read & Interpret Photographs

Step 2: I.D. and describe the physical and human features

• Identify the main feature in the photo and state where it’s located

• If it’s a main feature we can I.D. it right away

• If it’s an area of land we need to first identify the features (physical? human?)

How to Read & Interpret Photographs

Step 3: Draw Geographical Conclusions

• Use the info from the photo to describe the interrelationship between people and the environment

• Does the photo show a physical/human environment?

• How does the environment affect people?

• How have people changed the environment?

Got your photo?

• Using your photograph write down 4-6 sentences describing what you see.

• Describe the interrelationship between people and the environment

• Now, exchange your photograph with a classmate and interpret their photograph.

• Compare your interpretations. What have you learned from your classmate’s interpretations? Did they say the same thing as you or was it different? In what way?

PAGE 31,33-36