The Five Themes of Geography

Let’s Review: Quickly in your notes write down the SEVEN continents AND the Five oceans Asia Europe Africa Australia/Oceania Antarctica North America South America Pacific Ocean Atlantic Ocean Arctic Ocean Indian Ocean Southern Ocean

Why study geography? It affects where people live. It affects how people live. It affects the outcome of major events.

THE FIVE THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY Location Place Human-Environment Interaction Movement Regions

LOCATION Where we are. Absolute Location Relative Location A latitude and longitude (global location) or a street address (local location). Washington D.C 39 Degrees N 77 Degrees W The White House is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Relative Location Described by landmarks, time, direction or distance. From one place to another. Washington D.C. is located on the east coast of the US.

Absolute Location: Latitude Lines AKA Parallels Latitude lines are drawn from: East to West Latitude lines measure: North to South

Absolute Location: The Major Line of LATITUDE is the: Equator It splits the Earth into: the Northern and Southern Hemispheres

Define Hemisphere: Half of a globe (in our case the Earth)

Absolute Location: Absolute Location Longitude Lines AKA Meridians Longitude lines are drawn from: North to South Longitude lines measure: East to West

The Major Line of LONGITUDE is the: Absolute Location: The Major Line of LONGITUDE is the: Prime Meridian It splits the Earth into: the Eastern and Western Hemispheres

Human Characteristics Physical Characteristics PLACE What is it like there, what kind of place is it? Describes place in terms of both physical and human characteristics. Human Characteristics What are the main languages, customs, and beliefs. How many people live, work, and visit a place. Physical Characteristics Landforms (mountains, rivers, etc.), climate, vegetation, wildlife, soil, etc.

HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION How humans and the environment have affected each other. We depend on it. People depend on the Mississippi River for water and transportation. We modify it. People modify our environment by heating and cooling buildings for comfort. We adapt to it. We adapt to the environment by wearing clothing suitable for summer (shorts) and winter (coats), rain and shine.

MOVEMENT Movement is how people, goods, and ideas are moved from place to place. Human Movement Trucks, Trains, Planes Information Movement Phones, computer (email), mail Idea Movement How do fads move from place to place? TV, Radio, Magazines

PEOPLE AND THEIR PERSONAL STUFF Movement: GOODS What can move?? PEOPLE AND THEIR PERSONAL STUFF MONEY IDEAS

FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION Movement: How can things move?? WORD OF MOUTH COMPUTERS FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION TELEPHONES SATELLITES

Movement: Through movement we connect all of our world together. This is called globalization! When we are interdependent on each other for our economy, culture, politics, socialization, and technology.

REGIONS Regions are areas that share some common characteristics. Formal Regions Regions defined by governmental or administrative boundaries (States, Countries, Cities) Regions defined by similar characteristics (Corn Belt, Rocky Mountain region, Chinatown). Functional Regions Regions defined by a function (newspaper service area, cell phone coverage area).

Remembering the 5 themes If you can’t remember what they are just ask MR. HELP!!! M – Movement R – Regions HE – Human Environment interaction L – Location P - Place

Human/Environment Interaction: Location: Place: Can you place the geographic term with the correct geographic theme!?!? Movement: Five Themes of Geography Region: Human/Environment Interaction: Cutting down forests Your neighborhood Changing your address Handwritten letters to a friend Building new houses Areas with little rainfall Swiss chalets & high mountains = Switzerland Texas is south of Oklahoma Equator Building roads Southwest Asia Visiting another country On an island The Western US Planting crops Latitude/longitude coordinates