The Five Themes of Geography

Location answers the question, “Where is it?” Absolute location – exact location such as an address or latitude and longitude lines. Relative location – explanation of where a place is in reference to another (example: 2 blocks from the supermarket)

Region: A region is an area that is defined by certain similar characteristics. Those unifying or similar characteristics can be physical, natural, human, or cultural.   

Regions Regions are areas that share at least one common feature or physical characteristic Countries, states and cities are political regions. Features such as climate and culture can define regions. Places can be found in more than one region.

MAPS help us learn about different REGIONS. 5

A Physical Map shows the location of physical features such as landforms, bodies of water and resources. 6

Some maps show a regions natural resources. 8

You can also find the climates in the regions of a country. 9

What physical and human characteristics will I find there? Place: What is it like there? What physical and human characteristics will I find there? Physical characteristics include a description such things as the mountains, rivers, beaches, topography, and animal and plant life of a place. - Human characteristics include the human-designed cultural features of a place, from land use and architecture to forms of livelihood and religion to food and folk ways to transportation and communication networks.

Natural and human features identify places. What is it like there? Natural and human features identify places. Specific places can be identified by… landforms language climate plants people culture animals

Human Characteristics might include…

Physical Characteristics might include…

How do people, goods, and ideas move from place to place? Movement How do people, goods, and ideas move from place to place? What happens in one place affects another.

How humans and their environment affect each other. Interaction How humans and their environment affect each other. People change their environment to make their lives easier. Environment affects how people live, work, dress, travel and communicate.

Social Studies Homework: Read M – M1 in your SS Textbook. Copy this question in your Social Studies binder and answer: Write a detailed paragraph describing your town or city, using each of the five themes of geography.