The Five Themes of Geography

Find the FIVE themes of Geography in your standards 8.G.1.1 Explain how location and place have presented opportunities and challenges for the movement of people, goods, and ideas in North Carolina and the United States. 8.G.1.2 Understand the human and physical characteristics of regions in North Carolina and the United States (e.g. physical features, culture, political organization and ethnic make-up). 8.G.1.3 Explain how human and environmental interaction affected quality of life and settlement patterns in North Carolina and the United States (e.g. environmental disasters, infrastructure development, coastal restoration and alternative sources of energy).

What is Geography? It is the study of our earth; our home; or anything that can be mapped The last definition is really at the heart of geography. Maps are the tools of geographers: If something can be mapped, it’s geography.

The Five Themes of Geography Place Region Human Environment Interaction Movement Location

Place It is a description of what makes one place different from others. PLACE involves two types of differences. Physical Differences – Mountains, rivers Human Differences – Roads, buildings Now your turn: What is the difference between PHYSICAL and HUMAN differences?

QUESTION (example) What cultural characteristics, which are HUMAN characteristics, are typical of this city? Think specifically of the different types of restaurants we have in this city. (Use the internet or your local yellow pages to research.)

Region Regions are areas that can be grouped together by a set of things special to that region. Regions can be defined by a number of characteristics including area, language, political divisions, religions, and vegetation (for example, grassland, marshland, desert, rain forest).

HUMAN ENVIRONMENTAL INTERACTION This theme is about the relationship between people and their environment, or how they work together. ADAPTATION: How people have been changed by the environment. MODIFICATION: How the environment has been changed by people. DEVOTION: How people depend on the environment.

Now, let us apply HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION What are the following scenarios examples of? People clear forests to grow crops. People use the trees in the forest for firewood. People wear well-insulated clothes in cold weather. People use boats to transport goods across rivers. People installing sprinklers in order to water their lawns.

Movement Movement involves the transfer of people, things, and communications (the movement of ideas). How were people transported into the New World and into North Carolina? How were goods transported? How were ideas transported in history? (e.g. communication) **We will reference these later, so HIGHLIGHT in your notes.**

Location Absolute involves any type of address that gives an exact position. Relative involves showing the position of something as it relates to something else. OwlTeacher.com