5 Themes of Geography

Mr. Gingras

Geography

Geography is the study of the earth and the people on it

Because this is a large topic, geographers give us 5 Themes to start.

What are the five themes?

Tools geographer’s use to study features on earth.1) Location2) Place3) Region4) Movement5) Human Environment Interaction

1. Location

Location is where things are located on the earth. 2 Types:– ABSOLUTE: exact location on earth.

• Measured with latitude and longitude• Doesn’t change.

– JMS: 42N, 71W– Tokyo, Japan: 35N, 139E– Cape Town, South Africa: 34S,18E

– RELATIVE: location compared to other places• Changes dependent upon where you’re comparing it to

– Rome is near the Mediterranean Sea.– The United States is North of Mexico.– Walpole is Southwest of Boston

Absolute Location

Examples:

– JMS: 42N, 71W

– Rome, Italy: 41N, 12E

– Tokyo, Japan: 35N, 139E

– Cairo, Egypt: 30N, 31E

– Cape Town, South Africa: 34S,18E

Relative Location

Examples:

– Rome is near the Mediterranean Sea.

– The United States is North of Mexico.

– Walpole is Southwest of Boston.

– Norwood is Northeast of Walpole

2. Place

Place: what a location is like

– What human and physical characteristics make it different from all others?

A)Physical characteristics

B) Human characteristics

Physical Characteristics

The way a location looks– Landforms, bodies of water, etc. specific to THAT

place.

Created by nature.– Mountains, Rivers, Lakes, Seas. Climate, Vegetation

Examples:– The Andes Mountains of South America.– The Amazon River flows through Brazil.– The Pampas are located in Argentina.

Human Characteristics

What the people are like– All the ways to describe a person or people, including

their way of life, values and beliefs specific to THAT place.

Man-made or invented.– Language, Buildings, Religious Practices, Celebrations,

traditions

Examples: – Portuguese is the official language of Brazil.– Many Mexicans are Catholic.– Cinco de Mayo is a national holiday in Mexico.

3. Region

The world can be divided into different regions based on similarities.

This makes it easier to study and understand physical and human characteristics over large areas.

Physical Characteristics

Landforms, bodies of water and climate that cover a large area.

For example:– Mountain ranges– Coastal communities– “Tornado Alley”– The Northeast

Human Characteristics

The ways of life, values and beliefs of the people living in an area.

Examples:– Religion – Islamic regions– Economics – Poor neighborhoods – Language - Southern Accents– Race – The Asian population

4. Movement

How people, goods, and ideas move from place to place.

People and places are linked together, especially in today’s world! (Globalization)

4. Movement - examples

Movement of People:– Planes, Trains, Automobiles

Movement of ideas (communication)– The internet (Facebook, twitter, vine, pinterest and

SO much more)– Phones (iMessage, text, facetime, etc.)– TV– Education

Movement of goods– Cargo ships, Freight trains, UPS

5. Human Environment Interaction

People and the environment are closely connected:

1.People can adapt to the environment

2.People can modify (or change) the environment

Adapt

People make changes to their way of life in order to be comfortable, successful, healthy, safe or happy.

For example, people:– Wear different clothing depending on the weather– Eat different foods depending on what is

available– Build shelters that protect them from weather

conditions– Wear bug spray

Modify

People change the environment around them in order to be comfortable, successful, healthy, safe or happy.

For example, people:– Build damns– Build wind farms– Mine or dig for fuel– Spray insecticide

Human Environment Interaction

Current Environmental Issues:– Climate Change (global warming)– Energy Resources– Water Conservation– Deforestation

Review: What are the five themes?

1) Location-Where things are located on Earth, both in absolute and relative terms

2) Place- Physical and human characteristics that make a place distinct from others

3) Region- What common physical and human characteristics link a place to other parts

of the world

4) Movement- How the movement of people, goods, and ideas affect a place

5) Human Environment Interaction- How the lands affects the people and how the people affect the land

Assignment

What does each theme look like?– In the top box, explain each theme.– In the bottom box, draw a picture that

represents each theme.– Your picture should clearly describe

the theme.– Be creative, and thoughtful.