OVERVIEW

One Earth, Many Scales

The programs in this introductory unit raise two questions that are central to geographic understanding: (1) What insight can geography provide regarding the unity and division that pervades the contemporary world?, and (2) What are the concepts of geography that help us analyze characteristics of the world's regions?

The first video program, Lost in Space? Geography Training for Astronauts, explores geographical concepts in the context of a NASA space shuttle mission. It provides an overview of the spatial perspective, following the training of NASA astronauts as they attend classes to help them orient themselves when observing Earth from the space shuttle. The commanding view of earth from space points out the benefits of shuttle- and satellite-gathered imagery to help us better understand the geographical forces shaping our world.

Globalization and Revolt explores how the world is now both more divided and more united than ever before. Today, unity is symbolized by the fall of the Berlin Wall, the most famous icon of the Cold War rivalry between the free world and the former Communist bloc. Yet at the same time, a trend toward increasing division can be seen as separatist movements bubble up in such diverse areas as Russia, the Balkans, Quebec, and even the western United States.

Video Key Words

Lost in Space? Geography Training for Astronauts

• Satellite Imagery
• Plate Tectonics Theory
• Latitude/Longitude Coordinate System
• The Aral Sea Situation
• Human-Environmental Interaction

Globalization and Revolt

• Globalization
• Supranationalism
• Centripetal vs. Centrifugal Forces

View Video