The National Geography Standards

The National Geography Standards for this program include standards 7, 11, 14, and 15. You may read in-depth descriptions of specific standards by clicking on the links below. All of the standards are available here.

Standard 7: The physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface.

Standard 11: The patterns and networks of economic interdependence on Earth's surface.

Standard 14: How human actions modify the physical environment.

Standard 15: How physical systems affect human systems.

Oregon: A Fight for Water examines the spatial variation in precipitation across the Cascade Range in Oregon and its ramifications for resource management. Irrigation is required for agriculture because of the lack of rainfall in the rain shadow east of the Cascades. The irrigation strategies are examples of human response to the physical constraints of the environment. The second case study, U.S. Midwest: Spatial Innovations, looks at how a functional region develops due to economic investments. Both cases provide insight into the increasing interdependence of the world's economies.