WELCOME TO GEOGRAPHY!

THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR THE REST OF THE SEMESTER INTRODUCTION & THE FIVE THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY

WHAT IS GEOGRAPHY? I’m glad you asked… Geography is the study and exploration of the Earth; the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena that make up its surface, and the way that the forms are arranged. In other words- The study of the Earth and its peoples.

WHAT ELSE IS GEOGRAPHY? Well, it’s also… Cartography, or the science and skill of creating maps and charts! Cartographers use the maps and charts they create to help them understand and interpret things related to Geography.

CARTOGRAPHY HELPS US SEE AND UNDERSTAND OUR WORLD: Map of the United States (1685) Map of the United States (Present)

THE FIVE THEMES & WHY THEY MATTER Geography is broken down into five themes to help better organize and understand its different topics. It is a HUGE subject and can be most easily taught, studied, and learned if it is broken down into smaller parts. So, to make it most relevant to you- five themes (and knowing them cold) leads to better grades in Geography, an easier time understanding the subject, and overall a more enjoyable time in class. Who wouldn’t want that???

LOCATION Location can be measured in two ways: absolute and relative location. Absolute Location- a specific point on the earth’s surface. This includes exact coordinates of latitude and longitude and exact street addresses. Such as E.O. Smith is located at 1235 Storrs Road, Storrs, CT Relative Location- refers to the position of a point or place in relation to other areas. For example, France is located across the English Channel from Great Britain. What other examples of location can you think of (absolute or relative)?

Edwin O. Smith High School: Absolute: 1235 Storrs Rd., Storrs, CT ° N, ° W Relative: E.O. Smith is across the street from Starbucks

PLACE Place is the theme that looks at the physical and cultural features that give a particular location its identity. Every place has distinctive characteristics. These include Natural characteristics such as: Shape (like Italy’s “boot”), Landforms (Mt. Everest), Bodies of water (Lake Erie) Vegetation And Animal life (Kangaroos in Australia). Cultural or Human characteristics can range from: Structures, like airports and skyscrapers (Eiffel Tower) to less tangible characteristics such as religion (Hinduism) and political systems (Communism). What other examples of place can you think of?

Can you identify all of these places ? What characteristics identify them?

MOVEMENT People, goods, and ideas move continuously. The theme of movement looks at transportation and communication systems that link people in one location to those in another. What examples can you think of that are covered by the theme of movement ?

HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION This theme looks at a basic question about humans and their ways of living on the Earth: How do people interact with the physical environment? And how does the physical environment affect human life? Can you think of any examples of human-environment interaction ?

REGION Regions are divisions geographers use to divide the world into understandable units according to some common set of characteristics. Regions may be based on natural or cultural characteristics. A landform map divides an area into natural regions, while a map of religions is based on a particular set of cultural characteristics. For example, New England is a region in the United States. Can you think of any other examples of a region ?

WHAT CHARACTERISTICS DEFINE NEW ENGLAND AS A REGION? NEW ENGLAND

Think: How does this represent the region of New England?