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Learning From Patterns

Often times geographers can see things that repeat themselves over time and at different locations. Similar things that occur in different places can be seen as patterns (definition:A pattern is a spatial observation that one place/situation proves to be part of a larger system containing the same observation.)and similar events that repeat are trends. (definition:Trends are temporal observations that allow you to study a pattern over time.) Have humans learned from these trends or are we often repeating our mistakes? While some patterns and trends are naturally occurring, we will begin our course by diving into a case study where humans played an integral role in exploiting a natural environment and have since paid the price.

The tiny island nation of Nauru is found nestled in the South Pacific Ocean, more than 1600 km north of the country of Vanuatu. It’s everything you might imagine a tropical paradise to have: palm trees, ocean views and sandy beaches. However, this country’s deep history of resource exploitation has greatly impacted both the natural environment and the people of Nauru.  

Watch the following video to learn about Nauru’s interesting story of resource extraction.

 
We call the pattern that we saw in Nauru a Boom-Bust pattern. Nauru clearly saw a “boom” in their economy as a result of the extraction of the phosphate but later saw the “bust” when the extraction process was no longer viable. Often times we humans create a dependence on something and aren’t prepared for the consequences when it runs out.    

This is the ePortfolio icon. Portfolio

Have we seen any Boom-Bust patterns like the one in Nauru in our own country? 

Using Internet sources, find an example somewhere in your own community, province or country that demonstrates a pattern and trend similar to what you saw in the case study of Nauru.

Reflect on your findings in a journal entry. A journal entry is a short written piece that will be used to gather your thoughts, record your learning and be something you use for personal reference. 

Save your journal to your Portfolio. Your Portfolio will be used throughout this course as a place for you to store your findings, journals and is a great way to keep your work organized.

Go To Portfolio
Action.

ACTION

As a geographer it is important that you are able to apply the Concepts of Geographic Thinking. Patterns and trends is one of the key concepts and you have already used it when you thought about Canadian examples of resource extraction boom-bust cycles.  

ConceptsGeographicThinking

Long Description

A pattern is a spatial observation that one place/situation proves to be part of a larger system containing the same observation. For instance, most of Canada’s mineral deposits occur in an area with similar rock composition. The similar rock composition, as well as the cluster of mineral deposits occurring there form a pattern.

Patterns

Long Description

 

Trends are temporal observations that allow you to study a pattern over time. Not all patterns show trends but many do. To return to our previous example, the majority of mining extraction projects have a boom-bust cycle. This boom-bust cycle can potentially be seen as a trend as it is a pattern occurring over time.

Trends

Long Description

 

It's often confusing to organize our thoughts, so here’s a simple way to demonstrate our understanding of patterns and trends. By following this example, we can create a patterns and trends analysis that will clearly communicate our intended message.

HowtoWritePatternTrendAnalysis

Long Description

How do we analyze the patterns and trends within a real-world issue? Let’s take a look at an example of an analysis of volcanoes in South-East Asia. It will demonstrate how we can examine a natural feature of the Earth and the implications that it may have on humans. The ties between humans and the natural world will be examined in depth throughout the course.

SamplePatternTrendAnalysis

Long Description

This is the dropbox icon. Completing a Patterns and Trends Analysis

Let's try this out! Now that you know the steps involved to complete a Patterns and Trends Analysis how can you apply that knowledge to a topic that is relevant to the study of Environment and Resource Management? Begin by using the tools available to you to find a map of Canada’s mineral deposits. Use the patterns and trends analysis interactive to guide you through the process of creating your own analysis and to organize your findings. Remember to use the appropriate language for patterns (dispersed, concentrated, etc.) and trends (long term, irregular, decreasing, etc.). This may be your first time doing one of these analyses so don’t get discouraged if it takes you a little while or causes you to re-evaluate your thinking. Remember, sometimes we face challenges and need to formulate a plan to overcome them.

CompletingPatternTrendAnalysis

Long Description

Self-Assessment

Yes/No Some things your teacher will look for
 

Does my paragraph use one of the terms for a type of pattern (concentrated, dispersed, linear, nucleated, absent)?
 

Does my paragraph use one of the terms for a trend (long term, short term, increasing, decreasing, irregular, predictable, seasonal, static)?
 

Did I suggest a possible explanation for the observed pattern or trend?
  Did I explain the importance of the pattern or trend as I interpret it?
 
Submit Your Work

 

You may have noticed as you worked through the activities that you’re often left with wonderings or questions; that’s because you’re a geographer! Geographers must ask questions and not simply summarize information that is given to them. They are detectives when it comes to issues related to humans and their interactions with the natural process of the planet. It is normal for a geographer to be left with more questions than answers when investigating a topic or an issue. The ability to formulate effective inquiry questions can lead to a deeper understanding of what you are learning about.  

This is an image of a young man.
An effective geographic inquiry question…

  • Is an invitation to investigate;
  • Is open-ended;
  • Sparks deep feelings and thinking;
  • Usually leads to even more questions;
  • Is linked to the study of geography.
 

Formulating questions is an important part of the Geographic Inquiry Process.This process begins with us asking questions, leads us to gather and organize information, moves on to interpret and analyze the information, then to formulate conclusions and of course to communicate our message.

InquiryProcess

Long Description

 

Let's practice formulating good questions by using a Q Chart.  

This is a sample of a Q Chart.

A Q Chart has four different quadrants. Each colour on the chart represents a different type of questioning. You will begin your question by choosing a word from the left column, then follow it up with a word from the top row. This will help you to see a variety of ways you could begin your questioning.  

See if you can come up with four questions, one from each quadrant about the Nauru video you watched earlier in this activity. Now reflect on your questions. Are they effective geographic inquiry questions? Are your questions open-ended, or could you find the answer by a simple Internet search?

Consolidation

CONSOLIDATION

Climate change is having a massive impact on natural resources around the world. Patterns and trends can certainly be drawn out of the relationship between natural resources and climate change. It's time to take what you've learned in this activity (questioning and pattern/trend analysis) and put it to use.

Watch the following video about the relationship between natural resources and climate change.

 

This is the discussion icon. I wonder...

After watching the video, formulate four geographic inquiry questions that demonstrate the skills you gained during the Q Chart activity. Your four questions should also demonstrate your ability to recognize patterns and trends in a geographic issue.  

Join The Discussion

 
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