1

culture is a system of beliefs, knowledge, institutions, customs/traditions, languages and skills shared by a group. Through a society’s culture, individuals learn the relationships, structures, patterns and processes to be members of the society.

2

social institutions (e.g., government, economy, education, religion, family) respond to human needs, structure society, and influence behavior within different cultures.

3

interactions among individuals and groups assume various forms (e.g., compromise, cooperation, conflict, competition) and are influenced by culture.

4

culture affects how people in a society behave in relation to groups and their environment.

5

a variety of factors promote cultural diversity in a society, a nation, and the world.

6

an appreciation of the diverse nature of cultures is essential in our global society.

1

patterns emerge as humans move, settle and interact on Earth’s surface, and can be identified by examining the location of physical and human characteristics, how they are arranged, and why they are in particular locations. Economic, political, cultural and social processes interact to shape patterns of human populations, interdependence, cooperation and conflict.

2

regions help us to see the Earth as an integrated system of places and features organized by such principles as landform types, political units, economic patterns and cultural groups. People vary in how they organize, interpret and use information about places and regions.

3

human actions modify the physical environment and, in turn, the physical environment limits or promotes human activities.

4

human and physical features of the Earth's surface can be identified by absolute and relative location.

5

the use of maps, geographic tools, and mental maps helps interpret information, analyze patterns and spatial data, predict consequences and find/propose solutions to world problems.

6

citizens in an interdependent global community impact their physical environments through the use of land and other resources.

7

environmental changes and physical and human geographic factors have influenced world economic, political, and social conditions.

8

many of the important issues facing societies involve the consequences of interactions between human and physical systems. Complex interrelationships between societies and their physical environments influence conditions locally, regionally and globally.