5 THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY

2 DEFINITION OF GEOGRAPHY ge·og·ra·phy 1 : a science that deals with the description, distribution, and interaction of the diverse physical, biological, and cultural features of the earth's surface Source-Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary

3 IN PLAIN ENGLISH Geography is the study of the earth and everything on it.

4 WHERE DID THE 5 THEMES COME FROM? The 5 Themes of Geography originated by the National Geographic Society to fulfill a need for geographers (people who study the earth and everything on it) to categorize everything they learn. These 5 themes are easy to remember. Just say the word “PRILM”.

5 WHAT IS “PRILM”? PRILM is a mnemonic device that can be used to help remember what the 5 Themes of Geography are. They are:  Place Place  Region Region  Interaction (Human-Environment) Interaction (Human-Environment)  Location Location  Movement Movement

6 PLACE  A description of what makes that place different to others.  Place is divided into 2 parts: Physical Differences and Human Differences  Physical differences, or characteristics, include things that occur naturally, such as mountains, rivers, type of soil, wildlife, climate etc.  Human differences, or characteristics, are things that have changed due to people, such as roads and buildings, how people live and their traditions.

7 PLACE Things to think about  Place -- What makes a place different from other places? Differences might be defined in terms of climate, physical features, or the people who live there and their traditions.

8 PLACE ~more~  What physical characteristics exist in East Rutherford such as plant and animal life? What cultural (human) characteristics are typical of East Rutherford? Which ethnic, religious, or political groups live here?

9 REGION  Regions are areas that can be grouped together by a set of things special to that region.  The three types of regions are: Defined by a government or physical characteristics, Defined by a function, and Loosely defined  Regions defined by a government or physical characteristics are regions that are strictly maintained, such as countries or continents.  Regions defined by a function are areas served by a particular service. Example: East Rutherford school district  Loosely defined regions are regions that are grouped together in general terms. Example: the Northeast U.S., the Middle East.

10 REGION ~more~  THE STUDY OF REGIONS What are some of the regions in the United States? How are they different? How can a region change over time? (Descriptions of regions can include information about the physical or cultural characteristics. Physical refers to mountains, deserts, climates, etc. Cultural refers to history, religion, and language.)

11 HUMAN-ENVIRONMENTAL INTERACTIONS  This is about the relationship between people and their environment, or how they work together.  It can be divided into 3 parts:  How people have been changed by the environment can be called adaptation.  How the environment has been changed or modification is the way people change their environment to suit themselves.  Depending on the environment is when people depend on their environment for something.

12 HUMAN ENVIRONMENTAL INTERACTION ~more~  HOW PEOPLE RELATE TO THEIR ENVIRONMENT How do people in New Jersey adapt to their environment in terms of what they wear and how they build their homes? What about in Alaska?  How do people in East Rutherford modify their environment to accommodate them? (e.g. building dams, changing landscapes)

13 LOCATION  This is divided into 2 parts: Specific location and General Location  Specific or absolute location is shown by an address. The address can be any type of address that gives an exact position.  Here are some examples: A Street Address: 1, Silly Street, Anywhere Town, Nowhere Place A Map Address: 15 o 20' North, 20 o 15' West  General location is shown by saying where something is in relation to somewhere or something else. It is also known as relative location.  Here are some examples:  ten minutes away by train  in front of my bank

14 LOCATION Things to think about.  Location -- Where are things located? A location can be specific, such as giving the coordinates of longitude and latitude, as a distance from another place, or in general (it's in the Northeast).

15 LOCATION ~more~ LOCATION What is Faust’s exact latitude and longitude? What is the town’s location in relation to other major cities?

16 MOVEMENT Things to think about.  Movement -- What are the patterns of movement of people, products, and information?  A study of movement includes learning about major modes of transportation used by people, an area's major exports and imports, and ways in which people communicate (move ideas).

17 MOVEMENT ~more~ THE MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE, GOODS, AND IDEAS What are forms of transportation in East Rutherford? How are goods transported in the town? What are they? Who depends on them? How are ideas transported in this city? (e.g. communication)

Quiz About The Five Themes of Geography

19 Question 1 Which of the following is NOT a geography theme? A. movement C. region B. human-environmental interaction D. people

20 Question 2 Which of the following is an example of Human-Environmental Interaction? A. getting the mail C. playing Gameboy B. watching TV D. Rainforest Clearing

21 A. Geographica Institute C. National Council for Social Studies B. National Geographic Society D. Social Studies Teachers of America Question 3 Which of the following helped create the 5 Themes of Geography?

22 Question 4 Which of the following is an example of PLACE ? A. Deep South C. Dodge County Middle School B. McDonalds D. Skating rink

23 Question 5 Which of the following is NOT an example of Location? A. Springfield, Missouri C. Georgia B. Dodge County Middle School 1103 Herman Ave Eastman, GA D. the hills

24 Question 6 Which of the following is an example of region? A. Georgia C. United States B. South America D. The Midwest

25 Question 7 What is the name of a person who studies the earth and everything on it? A. Photographer C. Geographer B. Cartographer D. Mapographer

26 Key  1) D  2) D  3) B  4) A  5) B  6) D  7) C

27 SUMMARY  Apply our learning  Imagine that you are a newspaper reporter. An important discovery of a lost land has been made, and you have the chance to be the first person to interview the returning explorers. Make a list of the questions that you might ask. Remember, the five themes and ask the most important questions from each.  Here are some questions to get you started:  Where is it?  Where exactly is that?  What does it look like?  How many people live there and where?  What makes the people there different to people in other places?

28 INTERNET REFERENCES Click on the links below to view additional information.  esources/ngo/education/themes.html esources/ngo/education/themes.html  6_9/lessons/geo1/5themes2.htm 6_9/lessons/geo1/5themes2.htm

29 REFERENCES  aven.com/articles/fivethemes.htm aven.com/articles/fivethemes.htm  world.com/a_lesson/lesson071.shtml world.com/a_lesson/lesson071.shtml  publish/article_34.shtml publish/article_34.shtml