CONCEPT, MEANING AND SCOPE OF GEOGRAPHY

Biswabarna Dey

Geography is a scientific field that studies the earth’s landforms, ocean, environment, ecosystem, etc. It also studies the relationship between men and their environments. The word ‘Geography’ was coined by an Ancient Greek scholar, Eratosthenes, in 234 B.C. It originates from two Greek words; one is Geo, and the other is Graphy. The meaning of the word Geo is earth, and Graphy means to study or description. The literal meaning is a description of the earth’s surface. But modern geography has not been confined to only the description of the earth’s surface; rather, its dimensions have expanded beyond more description. It is largely the study of the interaction of all physical and human phenomena and landscapes created by such interactions. It doesn’t specify what’s written or described the earth, which is filled with numberless things of various natures. Definitions of Geography: There are many definitions of geography, which have been defined differently by different geographers and philosophers from time to time. The following are some definitions advanced by many geographers. Richard Hartshorne states, “Geography is concerned with providing an accurate, orderly, and regional description and interpretation of the variable character of the earth's surface.” In the words of H. Barrows, “Geography is Human Ecology.” In the opinion of Ackerman, “This is the study of spatial description and relation on the earth's surface.” It is clear from the above definitions that Modern geography deals with the study of earth’s physical features (Plains, Mountains, Hills, Rivers, etc.) and both natural and anthropogenic, its inhabitants, various processes and principles influencing these features and different kinds of relationships in a spatial context. It helps us understand the differences in patterns, phenomena, processes, and interrelationships between human society, the physical environment, and man's utilization of the earth’s surface in a spatio-temporal context. Scope of Geography: The scope has grown up of its descriptive character. Nowadays, an attempt is being made to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between various factors of geography. Geography is currently a large field of study and includes many different branches of academia within its field. It is similar to the bee in collecting honey from every bloom. As a result, its subject matter piques the attention of scientists and students of social sciences, as it encompasses physical disciplines such as physics, chemistry, mathematics, and astronomy on the one hand, and social sciences such as sociology, psychology and anthropology on the other, in the same way, that any other sciences utilise the resulting raw material from their own angles and in their own way. Geography has its own unit of study that focuses on the many regions of the planet. Each unit, even though they are interconnected, has its distinct characteristics. The Geographer investigates each region and attempts to provide a geographical explanation for its conditions and the converse of this. Geomorphology, on the other hand, adopts a broad perspective and attempts to explain the action and integration of all physical variables in relation to the complex challenges of human life on Earth’s surface via an extremely broad lens. The field of geography has grown so large and complex that it has necessitated the development of specializations. Branches of Geography Geography can be regarded as an interdisciplinary science. There are two main branches of Geography. These are physical and human geography. Physical Geography: Physical Geography is the study and explanation of physical phenomena encompassing other fields like geology, meteorology, zoology, and chemistry. It became a very popular subject during the latter part of the nineteenth century. It has a number of sub-branches which treat different kinds of physical phenomena. Geomorphology: Geomorphology studies the landforms on the earth’s surface. It includes the origin and development of landforms through water, wind, and glaciers' erosional, transportation and depositional processes. Climatology: Climatology studies atmospheric conditions and related climatic and weather phenomena. It includes the study of atmospheric composition, climatic regions, seasons, etc. Oceanography: Oceanography studies various types of oceanic format components and processes related to ocean floor depths, currents, coral reefs, continental drifts, etc. Bio-geography: The subject concerned with the biological phenomena on earth. This is especially concerning the distribution of various kinds of floral and faunal species. Biogeography may be subdivided into plant or floral, animal or faunal geography, and human ecology. Human Geography: Human geography is the synthetic study of the relationship between human societies and the earth’s surface. It comprises three closely linked components: the spatial analysis of the human population, the ecological analysis of the relationship between the human population and its environment, and the regional synthesis, which combines the first two themes in an aerial differentiation of the earth’s surface. It has a number of sub-branches. Social geography: The subject studies human society and the social phenomenon in a spatial context. A social geographer focuses on studying the spatial arrangement of social phenomena in relation to the total environment. It is the analysis of social phenomena in space. Poverty, health, education, and livelihood are some important fields. Population geography: It is the study of various dimensions of the population. For example, population distribution, density, composition, fertility, mortality, migration, etc. It also studies factors affecting population growth, distribution, density, composition, etc. Political Geography: The subject is concerned with the study of political units, states, and nations in relation to their geographical settings. Medical Geography: It is a recent development in the field of social geography. It deals with studying and diffusing various diseases and their geographical causes. The spatial distribution of the healthcare system.  Historical Geography: The branch of social geography which is concerned with the past is called historical geography. The two main aspects of the field are(a) the reconstruction of past environments at a particular point of time and(b) the study of the sequence of changes that take place with the passage of time at a place. Anthropogeography: It largely deals with racial phenomena in their spatial context. Economic Geography: This branch deals with the location and distribution of economic activities at the local, regional, national, and search scale, spatial variations in the economic activities, and the different ways in which wealth is produced, distributed, exchanged, and consumed. In this branch, a detailed study of various human occupations like agriculture, manufacturing of goods, means of communication and transport, etc., is taken up. Agricultural Geography: The subject deals with studying man's agricultural activities. It studies the spatial variations of agricultural activities over the earth's surface and the influence of geographical factors on agriculture. Cultural Geography: The subject studies various cultural aspects of man, such as his clothing, housing, tools, language, religion, food habits, and their variations in time and space. It also deeply analyses the impact of geographical settings on human culture on the physical environment or geographical settings in a particular region. CONCLUSION: Thus, it has been seen that the scope of this subject can not unite a small territory; many new branches are imagined into the scope with the increases of various human activities. IMPORTANCE OF MAP READING SKILL IN MICRO TEACHING The use of maps in the teaching and learning of the various school subjects occupies a quite prominent place. Every student and subject teacher therefore must have the necessary abilities and ski for making proper utilization of the services of various types of maps (such as historical, physical, political, social, economic and geographical) in the teaching learning. DEFINITION We can define the term map reading skill, as a skill demonstrated by teacher in helping his students in the task of the proper understanding, comprehension and interpretation of knowledge and information imparted by the drawer of the map in some or the other standard skilled ways resulting into the proper utilization of it in the better teaching – learning of a topic or specific areas of the subject concerned. IMPORTANCE Maps are used in a variety of subjects, including geography, history and social studies. By learning to read and interpret maps, you can gain a deeper understanding of the world around you. Map reading skills are essential for planning trips and excursions. By reading a map, you can identify points of interest, determine the best route, and estimate the time required to reach your destination. IT also provide information about potential hazards such as steep cliffs, dangerous waterways, or areas prone to natural disasters. Map reading skills are crucial for navigation, especially when traveling in unfamiliar areas. By reading and interpreting a map you can determine your location, identify landmarks and features, and plan your route. COMPONENTS The map reading skill seems to have the following components Use of introductory statements: The acquisition and utilization of the map reading skill on the part of a teacher demands a proper use of the appropriate introductory statements for initiating the use of maps in a teacher’s classroom teaching. Such statements may attract and motivate the students for being mentally alert and attentive for the fact and information contained in map. For example, a teacher while acquainting his/her students with the different types of soil found in India may make use of a map by making the following introductory statement: Students, let us see now in a map of India and find out what type of soil is available in a particular part or region of our country. Proper understanding and use of map language: A map of any kind has its own standard and technical language. A teacher should not only be quite skilled in the proper comprehension and understanding of the elements and language of a map but also be an expert for making its use in his/her instructional work including making his/her students understand and utilize this language. 1.Knowledge and use of lines: Lines on the map as pictorial symbols may be used to depict and convey various types of situations and information related to a particular aspect, for example: (a) straight lines for roads on level land, (b) curved lines for roads on hilly land, (c) lines winding between hills for rivers, winding lines by the ocean for the coastline, etc. 2.Knowledge and use of figures: It is customary to use different figures in maps for conveying and depicting different types of information and situations. A teacher should therefore, be properly acquainted with such figures. 3.Knowledge and use of specific symbols: Many times, quite specific symbols may be used for conveying one or the other specific information or situation related to an aspect of the study of a topic or unit in the subjects like the status of the population, industrial units and distribution of natural and physical resources. 4.Knowledge of colours: The teacher must try to get his students properly acquainted with use of colours in the maps for example: Dark green Evergreen forest Light green Tropical deciduous forest Dark brown Thorny forests Light brown Tidal or delta forests Yellowish green Temperate forest with grassland Bluish green Alpine and tundra forest 5. Knowledge and use of scale: A map is a quite smaller representation of an area, region or country. So, the distance between two places located on the map has to be shown in a relatively smaller size in comparison to their real distances. For this purpose, in drawing the maps, we make use of the concept of the scaling, i.e., expressing the real distances in terms of some hypothetical distance on a measuring scale. For example, one-inch equals 500 miles or one centimeter equals 500 km. 6.Knowledge and use of directions: It is very essential to have a proper knowledge of the concept of direction related to map reading. It should be well known by the students that, on a map hanging on the wall, north is always located on the upper side and the south in the lower side of the map as a matter of their identification with the north and south poles of the earth. Similarly, the students may also be properly acquainted with the concept of other directions being used in the making of the location of places on the maps. 7.Proper knowledge and use of latitudes and longitudes: Knowledge of latitudes and longitudes may help the students locate the correct position of a particular country or region along with a reliable estimate of its temperature and climatic conditions. Therefore, a teacher should try to make an earnest effort for enabling his students to grasp the ideas that (1) the lines of latitudes on a map or globe are true east-west lines encircling the earth and (2) the lines of longitudes are true north- south lines running across from the north to the south poles. 8.Active participation of the students: Proper acquisition and utilization of the skill of map reading involves the task of seeking active involvement and participation of the students at the time of making use of a map in classroom teaching. 9.Use of concluding statements: It is an essential and significant component of the map reading skill. In practice, it demands from a teacher to make appropriate concluding statements after his making use of a map. With the help of such statements, he should try to clarify and summarize the things depicted and the information given through the showing of the map in the class. It can help in the proper revision of the things taught and proper realization of the objectives of the use of a map in the classroom teaching.

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