What is geography?

Geography is the study of the earth and of the ways people live and work on it. Geography comes from the Greek word “geographia” which means “a description of the earth.”

Geography has five themes (or categories) that it is divided into. What do you think those five themes might be?

Five Themes of Geography

Location Five Themes of Geography Concerned with the question “WHERE IS IT?” The ABSOLUTE LOCATION of a place It’s position on the globe The RELATIVE location of a place is where it is located in relation to something else. (The United States is located south of Canada)

Place What could change the way a place looks? Concerned with the question WHAT IS IT LIKE THERE? Each place on earth has it’s own physical features LIKE land water weather soil plant life animal life What could change the way a place looks?

Human Environment/Interaction Concerned with the question WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PEOPLE AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT? People are attracted to a place for various reasons… an ocean, a climate, the soil. Do people adapt TO their environment or adapt the environment to fit their needs? How do people adapt to their environment? How do people change their environment?

Mississippi River Hoover Dam

Natural Mountains Strip Mining Aftermath

Movement What are some reasons people might move from one Concerned with the question HOW ARE PEOPLE AND PLACES CONNECTED? Throughout history people have moved in large groups (migration) What are some reasons people might move from one location to another? Geographers today are also interested in the movement of goods, ideas and information. How are people and places connected today?

Migration Map

WORLD TRADE ROUTES

The geographically informed person knows and understands… The characteristics, distribution and migration of human populations on Earth’s surface

Humans are spaced unevenly over the Earth’s surface Geographers… Understand why people live where they do Why they move from place to place Why there is spatial variation in the social, culture and lifestyle characteristics of the human population

Examples: Near Samana, Dominican Republic A young boy takes a break from his work on a coconut plantation. He is typical of age characteristics of developing countries where children and youth may constitute half the population. Birth rate in the Dominican Republic is 3.2 compared to Germany’s 1.3

Near Raqqa, Syria An elder Arab sheik in traditional dress is honored during a Desert Festival in Syria. Few Syrians carry on the Bedouin lifestyle (predominantly desert-dwelling Arabian ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes, or clans). But females continue to meet in the desert to celebrate ancient traditions. http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2011/11/15/world/middleeast/20111115_REFUGEES.html

What do you notice about areas with the greatest concentration of population?

Region Concerned with the question HOW IS THIS AREA UNIFIED? An area of the earth’s surface that is defined by certain unifying characteristics. Characteristics can be physical, human, or cultural. Using the theme of regions, geographers divide the world into manageable units for study. Turn to your partner to name a least 5 different types of regions.

Regions can be divided into any category

Review – NAME THE FIVE THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY LOCATION PLACE HUMAN/ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION MOVEMENT REGION

MIND MAP ACTIVITY USING THE FIVE THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY, MAKE A WEB MAP. USE EXAMPLES THAT APPLY TO YOU PERSONALLY. SEE NEXT SLIDE FOR AN EXAMPLE