1. The Five Themes of Geography

2. Theme 1: Location Where is it? Why is it there?
Two types of “Location”
Absolute
Relative

3. Location: Absolute
Absolute location is a specific place on the Earth’s surface
Uses a grid system
Latitude and longitude
The absolute location of a state or country is determined by the absolute location of its capital city

4. What is the absolute location of the United States of America?
Look in the index of your atlas to find the latitude and longitude of Washington D.C.
What is the absolute location?

5. Location: Relative
Relative location is where a place is in relation to another place
Uses directional words
North, south, east, west, northwest, northeast, southwest, southeast
These are known as cardinal and intermediate directions

6. What is the relative location of the United State of America?
Use your atlas to figure out what is north, south, east, and west of the United States of America
Example: North America is north of South America

7. Theme 2: Place Physical Characteristics
These are the physical features that define a place
Landforms
Bodies of Water
Land cover/
vegetation
Climate
Animals

8. What are some physical characteristics of the USA?
Niagara Falls
Bald Eagle
Try to think of three physical characteristics in the U.S.
Here are some examples:
Snow
Bryce Canyon

9. Theme 2: Place Human Characteristics
These are the cultural similarities that define a place
People
Culture
Examples: art, clothing,
traditions, celebrations,
literature, sports
Language
Religion
Buildings
Man-made structures
Cities
History

10. What are some human characteristics of the United States of America?
Try to think of three human characteristics in the U.S.
Here are some examples:
American Football
Mount Rushmore
New York City

11. Theme 3: Human-Environment Interaction
People interact with their environment by:
Adapting to their environment
Modifying their environment
Depending on their environment

12. What are some examples of how Americans interact with the environment?
Try to think of three ways Americans interact with the environment
Here are some examples:
Raising Cattle
Winter Clothing
Fishing

13. Theme 4: Movement
The mobility of people, goods, and ideas, and the migration of animals
This includes the migration of people, transportation, and technology used to moved ideas
How places are linked to one another and the world
This does not include body movements, like jumping jacks

14. What are some examples of movement in the United States of America?
What are some examples of movement within the U.S.?
What are some examples of movement into and going out of the U.S.?
Here are some examples:
A lot of people use cars to get from place to place
Many ideas are moved through computers
Goods are often transported by truck

15. Theme 5: Regions Regions are defined by what places have in common
Directional Regions
Political Regions
Note: State and country boundaries are political
Physical Regions
This includes landforms, bodies of water, land cover/vegetation, and climate
Agricultural Regions
Economic Regions
Cultural Regions

16. What are some regions in the United States of America?
Try to come up with three examples of regions in the U.S.
Here are some examples:
Much of Florida is coastal, a physical region
Alaska is a
political region
A lot of land in the Midwestern U.S. is part of an agricultural region

17. Sources
Note: All images came from Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 ClipArt gallery