Lets look at a physical process!

watch this short presentation about Hurricane Katrina http://www.gatm.org.uk/geographyatthemovies/weather.html
Hurricane Katrina is an example of a physical process.

Teachers TV: KS3 Geography for Pupils - Migrant Stories

This programme shows moving stories about refugees, asylum seekers and economic migrants. The personal accounts bring these labels to life in the classroom, showing the pupils what it's like to be a foreigner trying to make the best of living your life in another country.



visit http://www.teachers.tv/video/2737 for more information.

migration again...

As we've mentioned before, physical processes can greatly affect humans - and this video shows what happens when a physical process interacts with humans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkfMDZlHHe4&feature=channel

The Pakistan Earthquake greatly affected the high and densely populated area, leading to people migrating and moving to other areas in seek of safety, help, medical assistance, food and water.

Can you think of any other tectonic or natural disasters that have caused such a movement of people.

Think about the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan - these have caused mass movements of people and the human process and certainly affected the physical environment.

Migration...

Migration!

We love migration... but it's not always humans that are forced to migrate because of physical processes!

Many birds annually migrate - have a look at this video (if you like birds..)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7kB4AkN7MQ&feature=related

Now lets focus on Human processes!

Bhutan’s internal migration rate highest in South Asia

This article focuses on an area in South Asia which is experiencing high levels of internal migration.

There are many triggers for this movement of people wich include education and employment.

“Success in education is the most important reason. Migrants come in search of a better life and hence are highly motivated, hardworking and adaptive and provide labour for economic development in more productive sectors,”

Bhutan’s urban growth rate on an average today is more than seven percent. this means that other sectors of industry have suffered especially agriculture.

. “The entire future of Bhutan will be shaped by human migration, which will have enormous impact upon our culture, social relationship, economy and, ultimately, the transformation of the nation.”

Think about why people move around.

consider PUSH and PULL factors

1. Push Factors:
Conditions that drive people to leave their homes Examples:
Land scarce in home country Political and/or religious persecution Revolutions Poverty

2. Pull Factors:
Conditions that attract people to a new area Examples:
Promise of freedom (religious and political) Hope for a new life Industry Jobs Land “Streets paved with gold”

Visit the following site for more information from the article: http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13779

Try and compare movement of people in lesser economically developed countries (LEDC'S) to movement of people within more economically developed countries (MEDC's).

Are there any differences? why are there differences?

Another example of how human and physical processes can interact...... RIVER FLOODING...

As you looked at the geography of festivals, you would have noticed how both human and physical processes can interact to cause problems!

When both these processes interact in relation to rivers, there can be devestating effects.

Human processes, such as deforestation can cause a physical process such as flooding. Leaves on trees reduce raindrop impact, and the gentler rain causes less erosion meaning less sedimentation in rivers. Tree roots absorb water from the soil, making the soil drier and able to store more rainwater, decreasing surface runoff, and tree roots hold the soil in place, reducing the movement of sediment that can shrink river channels downstream. When trees are chopped down, and logging takes place, precipitation is no longer intercepted by trees, and therefore has a much faster run off into rivers. The lack of trees can also cause a higher amount of sedimentation in rivers as the run off into the rivers erodes sediment once compacted by vegetation.

This picture shows the devastating effects flooding can have on a community:

Another example of when human processes can seriously affect physical processes is the use of flood plains for building houses.

The construction of homes on the flood plain increases the risk of flooding as the concrete and tarmac used for homes is impermeable for precipitation, and man made drainage systems often fail to cope with high amounts of rain in small amounts of time. Insurance policies for homes built on the flood plain are much more expensive than national averages for other homes; which emphasises the risk of building and buying homes on flood plains.

The pictures below show a site built on a flood plain, and what could happen....

In this picture a new housing construction site has been located very near the river bank. On the opposite side is a railway track; but what has been done to prevent flooding of this transport link?

This plan shows the events that could occur if flooding was to take place. If you were to plan a building site, where would you definitely not build your housing estate, why? Where would you plan to build, and why?

Have a think about any instances where you have seen human processes interacting with physical processes, in a negative, but also in a positive way.

Why, what, how ?????

look at these pictures and consider how both physical and human processes are interacting

why has the area been used as a site for a festival? why are people attracted to this event? where does all the rubbish go? what are the reasons for the area flooding? what problems does this cause? how might we manage this in the future?

How might these images be used to make sense of other areas which may suffer from flooding?

By using festivals as a starter to introduce that there is a realtionship between physical and human processes we can the move on to look at these relationships and processes on a LARGER more global scale.

Using festivals!

The Geography of Glastonbury'
Focus on Key Concepts:
Place, Space, Scale, Physical and human processes, Geographical enquiry, Geographical and visual literacy, Geographical communication, Environmental interaction and sustainable development

This is a really interesting idea of using music festivals to help students understand geographical issues. Here we can look at the physical aspects of glastonbury but also highlight the human processes which occur.
The ‘Greening Glastonbury' lesson focuses on the impacts that a large scale event, such as Glastonbury, can have on the environment. Students also consider management measures which can be employed to create a more sustainable use of the environment and how environmental impacts may be reduced.
Mud glorious mud!' There has been much publicity regarding flooding at festivals in recent years. Within this lesson, students can interpret photographs and empathise with people caught up in festival flooding. Tasks enable students to investigate and assess the flood risk, at selected festival sites, and produce a flood risk report.
‘Design your own festival!' As a finale to the unit, students are able to utilise many of the skills, vocabulary and knowledge gained from previous lessons to design their own festival. Using decision making skills, students can decide on a suitable location for their festival considering site and situation factors as well as flood risk.

Human Processes

While the major focus of human geography is not the physical landscape of the Earth it is not possible to discuss human geography without going into the physical landscape, on which human activities are being played out.

Thematically, human geography may be concerned with an array of human enterprises, from villages and cities, schools, health, commerce and trade, to name a few. The spatial human architecture of a variety of institutions and practices unites these entities within the discipline. For example, a human geographer might be concerned with the geographic patterns of communicable diseases, school performance in rural versus urban school districts or the rise of innovative

Fields of human geography
The main fields of study in human geography focus around the core fields of:
Cultural
Development
Economic
Health
Historical
Political
Population
Tourism
Urban

visit this link to find out more: http://www.viswiki.com/en/Human_geography

Here is a great video of a volcanic eruption. Enjoy this amazing physical process!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZp1dNybgfc

Watch favourite links

Physical processes - Tectonics

So... when we look at physical and human landscapes we can explore the sequences of events and activities in the physical world which can lead to changes in landscapes. This exploration can lead us to focus on the changing nature of tectonics and tectonic plates.

The Earth's crust is made up of a number of different plates; as the map below indicates:

Along the boundaries of these plates are zones of interaction, where plates can meet and create a plate margin.

There are a number of different types of plate margins; and it is along these that physical processes can have an affect on the landscape.

Convergent (Destructive plate) boundaries:

Destructive plate boundaries can occur along any of the three plate margins (with both oceanic and continental crust). The three pictures below show the processes that occur along a destructive plate boundary.

The oceanic crust submerges under the continental crust.

As this diagram shows, when two continental crusts collide, fold mountains are created, altering the landscape of a country. An example of this is the Himalayas.

As one plate submerges under another, the friction, pressure and heat can cause both earthquakes and volcanoes; both of which can lead to changes in the landscape.

Conservative (Transform) plate boundaries:

Conservative plate boundaries occur when two plates are rubbing alongside each other, such is the case of the San Andreas fault in California. The friction and pressure built up as the plates travel horizontally alongside each other can cause earthquakes.

Divergent (Constructive) plate boundaries:

Constructive plate boundaries occur when two plates are pulling away from each other, creating a space where new material is created. Along these place boundaries, both earthquakes and volcanoes can happen. Also, mid ocean ridges are often formed, as is the case in the Atlantic ocean, as the picture below portrays.

Tectonic processes, as a physical process, can lead to change in places, landscapes and societies. They can greatly affect populations and are difficult to predict, prevent and manage.

If you would like to find out more about this topic please follow the link to a great page about all of these concepts... http://www.geologyrocks.co.uk/tutorials/plate_tectonics_introduction.

Physical processes: 4 main categories

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/standards/07/index.html





1. Atmosphere (climate, meteorology)


2. Lithosphere (plate tectonics, erosion, soil formation)


3. Hydrosphere (circulation of the oceans/hydrological cycle)


4. Biosphere (plant and animal communities and ecosystems)http://beri.espp.msu.edu/images/biogeochemicalcycle.gif
By understanding the relationship between these processes a person can begin to think as a gegrapher. Understandings can be devloped as to how features are formed, how plants and animals adapt to different climates, why physical features may change. this leads us to understand how the earth serves as a home for all flora and fauna.

knowledge and understanding of physical processes on the earths surface is crucial as these processes affect human decision making, e.g. locations of safety in an earthquake prone region.

humans can then use this knowledge and understanding to make predictions for the future. We can understand how climate change is linked to differences in economic development around the world. Physical processes may lead to the formation of natural resources and help us to understand human processes which react to physical processes.

VIDEO: HOME

looking at the relationship between physical and human processes taking place on our planet

(video is fairly long - but worth it!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU

Physical and Human Processes, why are they important?

'These processes cause change and development in places and can be used to explain patterns and distributions. Understanding these processes help pupils to imagine alternative futures for places and for the people who live and work in them.'

http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/key-stages-3-and-4/subjects/geography/index.aspx#note2_5_a

'modern geography seeks to understand the Earth and all of its human and natural complexities—not merely where objects are, but how they have changed and come to be. As "the bridge between the human and physical sciences," geography is divided into two main branches—human geography and physical geography.[4][5]'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography

Look at this photo,

Consider the folowing:

How are the people affected who live here?

think about:

The social and physical processes that affect the location and distributions of people, their institutions, and their impact on the Earth• The tools used to map, display and analyze geographic data• The interdisciplinary nature of geography• Variations and differences in peoples and cultures• The spatial aspects of human, social and environmental issues

http://www.geo.umass.edu/programs/undergrad_mission.html

Welcome to our blog!

Hi guys, we're currently studying a geography secondary PGCE at the University of Leicester!

As part of our course we're making a blog which is focused on one concept within the national curriculum for Key Stage 3 geography.

Hope that you enjoy learning all about Physical and Human processes. I'm sure that you will get lots out of all the resources and posts that we publish (well we hope so anyway!!)

Happy blogging...