The Five Themes of Geography SSWG1 The student will explain the physical aspects of geography. SSWG2 The student will explain the cultural aspects of geography.

Geography The study of the earth and its features and of the distribution of life on the earth, including human life and the effects of human activity

Location Location EQ Every place on Earth has a location. “Where is it?” Every place on Earth has a location. Location is defined in terms of absolute and relative location Absolute location: the exact spot on Earth where something is found i.e. latitude & longitude Relative location: the position of a place in relation to other places i.e. landmarks, etc.

Examples Marietta, Georgia is located at 33N 84W Yosemite National Park is located north of Los Angeles, California, and east of San Francisco, CA

Place Place EQ “What is it like?” The special characteristics that make a place different from every other place Every place can be described in terms of its physical features Every place can be described in terms of its human features

Place The Sahel is a hot and dry place along the southern edge of the Sahara in Africa Yosemite National Park has several hotels and campgrounds to accommodate tourists

Human-Environment Interaction HEI EQ “How do people relate to the physical world?” To survive, people must use their environment People sometimes use the environment as is—fishing in a river People sometimes alter the environment positively—creating a dam to control flooding on a river People sometimes alter the environment negatively—creating industrial pollution in a river People also must learn to live with aspects of the environment that don’t change Climate, soil, etc. Interaction between people and their environment can shape cultures.

People build roads to make travel easier Examples People who live in the Sahel wrap their heads with heavy material to keep the hot sun and sand out of their faces People build roads to make travel easier

Movement Movement EQ People, goods, and ideas move continuously “How do people, goods, and ideas more from one location to another?” Distance Linear distance-how far across the earth something travels Time distance-amount of time it takes for something to travel Psychological distance-how far away we think things are People, goods, and ideas move continuously The movement of people, goods, and ideas is called spatial interaction Globalization has influenced movement in the 21st century.

Examples Open markets provide centers where herders and farmers can trade their goods The movement of tourists into Yosemite National Park has created a need for a shuttle bus service

Region Region EQ A region is an area defined by common characteristics “How are places similar and different?” A region is an area defined by common characteristics A region can be defined by more than one characteristic 3 main types of regions Formal-defined by limited characteristics (Southwest Asia, Latin America) Functional-organized around connections and interactions (Atlanta Metro Area) Perceptual-defined differently by different people (American Midwest)

Examples The Sahel can be defined as a dry grassland region in Africa because of its physical characteristics. Many people in the Sahel speak Arabic, so it also can be defined as a region by language. And the Sahel can be defined as a region by religion because many people are Muslims.

5 Themes of Geography Assignment In groups of 2-3 come up with your own examples of each of the 5 themes of geography Be prepared to share some of your examples