Vocabulary

1. Vocabulary Unit One: Natural Texas and Its People

2. geography Geography is the study of the special physical and human characteristics of a place or region. Geographers study humans, their environment, culture, and human interaction with the world and other humans.

4. culture a learned system of shared beliefs, traits, and values

5. ecosystem all of an area’s plants and animals together with the nonliving parts of their environment

7. migration the movement of people

8. Examples of Migration • African Americans from the Southern United States to the North during and after the American Civil War. • Jews have migrated to all parts of the world due to extreme social conditions. • Europeans and other groups of people migrated from their homelands into the United States.

9. relative location where a place is in relation to other places

10. Where is Rogers when looking at relative location?

11. absolute location the exact position of a place on Earth

12. Exact Location of Rogers Latitude: 30.93 N, Longitude: 97.23 W

13. latitude and longitude a grid system of imaginary lines circling the globe, which uses the measurement of degrees, minutes, and seconds to tell exactly where someone is in the world

14. latitude measures from the North to the South

16. longitude measures from the east to the west

18. equator an imaginary line circling the globe exactly halfway between the North and South Poles

19. Prime Meridian an imaginary line that runs around the globe from the North Pole, through Greenwich, England, to the South Pole

20. compass rose a figure that shows direction by pointing to all four cardinal points – north, south, east, and west

21. scale the relationship between a measurement on the map and the actual distance on Earth’s surface

22. legend a key which explains the meaning of all the symbols on a map

23. tributary a smaller stream or river that flows into a larger stream or river

24. reservoir an artificial lake that stores water used for drinking in towns and cities

26. aquifer formations of natural gravel, rock, and sand that trap and hold rainwater underground

28. region a specific area sharing similar geographic or cultural features

29. escarpments cliffs

30. basins lowlands surrounded by higher lands

31. plateau areas of flat, elevated land that drops sharply on one or more sides

32. nomads groups of people who move from place to place

33. shaman a priest or priestess who uses ritual magic to cure the sick or control events in certain religions or Native American groups

34. archaeologist scientists who use remains of materials that they find to study people of the past

35. adobe mud mixed with a small amount of straw or grass and dried in the sun

36. agriculture the raising of plants and animals for food

37. THE END Make sure your name is on the back, and pass your worksheets to the front!