1. Using the 18 National Geography Standards outlined in the book as a guide, how would you explain to a 6th grade student the importance of geography in his or her life?
2. Think about the concept of relative location. What businesses in your community are most reliant on their location? What types of businesses are less dependent on their location? Why?
3. The text introduces the concept of the "friction of distance". Discuss this notion in terms of your campus. Do you or your friends use or avoid certain places because of their distance from your residence? Explain.
4. Measuring distance in terms of time ("it's only twenty minutes away") indicates a remarkable change in the value placed on time. How do you account for this? Think of some instances in which distance is still measured primarily in terms of miles or kilometers. How do you explain this difference?
5. The state of Louisiana is an example of a formal region. Interstate commerce along the Mississippi defines a functional region. Give examples of formal and functional regions in the area with which you are most familiar.
