1. The Five Themes of Geography

2. Geography
Geography – the study of the Earth’s physical and cultural features
It means writing about or describing the earth.

3. Geography's Five Themes
Location
Place
Regions
Movement
Human- Environment Interaction

4. Asks the Question: Where is it?
Location
Asks the Question: Where is it?

5. Location Every point on earth has a specific location.
Absolute location - the position of a place on the globe using the grid of longitude and latitude lines.
Relative location - the location of a place compared to other places

6. Absolute Location
Imagine a single dot on a ping pong ball. How would you describe its location?

7. Absolute Location Not easy?
The same is true of locations on the Earth's surface.
Geographers have solved this problem by creating latitude lines and longitude lines.

8. Absolute Location
Latitude: Measures distances north and south of the Equator
Longitude: Measures
Distances east and
West of the Prime Meridian

9. Relative Location
Relative location - the location of a place when compared to other places.

10. Relative Location
Example - the Relative Location of Pennsylvania is south of south of New York, east of Ohio, and north of Maryland

11. The Five Themes of Geography
# 2: Movement

12. Movement
We interact with many different people, places and things everyday of our lives. We travel from place to place, rely upon different products, information, and ideas from sources beyond our immediate environment. This all explains the theme of Movement.

13. The theme of movement helps us understand how we are connected with, and dependent upon, other regions, cultures, and people in the world.

14. Movement: Look at the Label Activity
Clothing items can easily represent a miniature version of the world economy. You will be surprised how many countries are represented. You and your partner look at the labels in your jacket, shirt, shoes,
Etc. What do you notice?
Be ready to share.

15. Movement
Currency travels all over the place. This particular bill has been marked to show where it has been.

16. Movement
Tracking Paper Money

17. The Five Themes of Geography
#3 place

18. Place
All places have characteristics that set them apart from other places.
Geographers describe places by both their physical and human characteristics

19. Place
Physical Features – landforms, ecosystems, climate, animal life, other geographic features

20. Human Characteristics
languages, art, customs, economy, government, architecture, religion, and so on…

21. So…Place is the personality of Geography

22. Place…Check for Understanding
What are the physical and human characteristics of Mount Pleasant Middle School? How is MPMS different from other schools?

23. The Five Themes of Geography
# 4: Human / Environment Interaction

24. Human-Environment Interaction
When we study Human- Environment Interaction we look at all the effects (both positive and negative) that occur when people interact with their surroundings.

25. How can we modify our environment?
Bringing water to our homes
Clearing land for farms
Any other ideas?

26. Human Environment Interaction
How do we adapt to our environment?
Wearing suitable clothing (summer vs. winter)
Heating / cooling our homes
Any other ideas?

27. How can changes to the environment be favorable?

28. Human-Environment Interaction
The construction of the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, for example, changed the natural landscape, but it also created a reservoir that helps provide water and electric power for the dry southwest

29. How can changes
also be destructive?

30. Review
There are three key concepts to human/environmental interaction:
Humans adapt to the environment. 
Humans modify the environment.
Humans depend on the environment.

31. The Five Themes of Geography
#5: Regions

32. Regions
Region - an area on the Earth that is defined by certain similar characteristics.
These similar characteristics may be physical, human, or cultural.

33. How do Regions help geographers?
Regions help us to learn about the differences and similarities that help our world function as a unit.

34. How do Regions help geographers?
Regions help divide the
world to make it easier to study.

35. Types of Regions
Formal regions - areas in which a certain characteristic is found throughout them.
Example: States, countries, cities

36. Types of Regions
Functional regions - consist of a central place and the surrounding places affected by it.
Example: Amazon drainage basin, Greater Pittsburgh Area

37. Types of Regions
Perceptual regions - defined by people’s attitudes and feelings about areas. They don’t have defined boundaries
Example: The West, the Middle East, the South