5 Themes of Geography

What is geography? The study of humans interacting with their environment Physical Environment Built Environment Social Environment 5 different categories or themes Location Place Movement Human Environment Interaction Region

Location Everything on earth has a location Absolute location: Specific! Defined by latitude and longitude ◦ Logan is located at 41 degrees North Latitude and 111 degrees West Longitude Relative Location: described by landmarks, directions, distance from one place or another ◦ “I live next to the hospital”

Let’s Practice! Turn to your neighbor and explain absolute location. Give an example Turn to a different neighbor and explain relative location. Give an example

Place Every Place on earth has characteristics that make it different from another place Physical Place: Mountains, rivers, lakes, soil, animals Human Place: ideas, clothing religion, food habits, buildings

Let’s Practice! Think about places you have visited or lived before. How did that place look different from where you live now? Describe that “place” to a neighbor. Tell them if you are talking about physical place or human place

Human Environment Interaction Humans and the environment effect each other People change the environment People adapt to the environment People depend on the environment

Let’s Practice! Think about your summer vacation. What are at least 2 ways that you interacted with your environment. Share your thoughts with a neighbor

Movement People, goods, and ideas move Movement shapes our world Movement allows for interaction between people

Let’s Practice! How did you use movement today? How might the movement of ideas change a city or country? Share your thoughts with your neighbor

Region An area that displays similarities ◦ Most areas are LARGE Physical similarities or human similarities ◦ Government, language, desert, frozen tundra Formal Regions ◦ Defined by boundaries or measurable similarities ◦ United States, Amazon River Basin Functional Regions ◦ Area that has a function ◦ Shopping region, Farming region

Region

Let’s Practice! Look at the 1 st picture. What similarity makes this a region? Look at the 2 nd picture. Is this an example of a formal region or a functional region? Explain your answer. Look at the 3 rd picture. Is this an example of a formal region or a functional region? Explain your answer.