1. THE FIVE THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY
A framework for studying the world

2. AP Human Geography Assignment #1
Get a jump start on your first assignment that is due on August 28, 2009
Please go to:
Go to the AP Human Geography folder
Open unit one and print the first assignment, you will use this power point presentation to complete this assignment.

3. Spatial Perspective
Geographers use the five themes to help us understand the world we live in using a spatial perspective— that is the outlook through which geographers identify, explain, and predict the human and physical patterns in space (on earth) and the interconnectedness of different spaces.
The national council for geographic education implemented the Five Themes of Geography to help students organize geographic principles.

4. FIVE THEMES ARE… LOCATION HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION REGION PLACE
MOVEMENT

5. THEME #1: LOCATION
Location highlights how the geographical position of people and things on the earth’s surface affects what happens and why.
Location tries to answer the questions:
“Where are we?" 

6. TWO TYPES OF LOCATION: Location may be absolute or it may be relative
TWO TYPES OF LOCATION: Location may be absolute or it may be relative.  These locations, whether relative or absolute, may be of people or places. Geographic Coordinate System
Using the above link complete question number two in your assignment.

7. ABSOLUTE LOCATION 3A & B Go to: http://maps.google.com/
An absolute location is a latitude and longitude co-ordinate (a global location) or a street address (local location).  
3A & B Go to:
and/or: You will need permission from your parent to download this free program
answer questions 3A & B on your assignment

8. RELATIVE LOCATION
Relative locations are described by landmarks, time, direction or distance from one place to another and may associate a particular place with another.
This is how you tell someone to find your house based on a shared common point.
COMPLETE 4A & 4B IN YOUR ASSIGNMENT

9. HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION
This theme is often referred to as cultural ecology.
Geographers use this to analyze:
How human activities affect their environment?
How the environment changes/impacts human life?
What are the positive or negative effects of human-environment interaction?

10. Look at the pictures below and explain what type of human environment interaction is taking place. #5 A B
Picture credit
A—Janys Hutchings
B--
C—Denyce Jamieson
D-- C D

11. Regions
Geographers love regions because you can always create a new region based on your information.
Regions are spatial units that share similar characteristics.
There are three types of Regions:
Formal
Functional
Perceptual

12. Formal Region
Regions can be formal, such as cities, counties, states or countries. The boundaries are widely known and generally understood. Climate maps and Religion maps are also examples of formal regions.
History of Religion or
Complete number 6a of your assignment

13. Functional Regions
Regions can be functional, such as describing the coverage area for cell phone service.
Click on the above link and answer question 6b

14. Perceptual Regions
The third type of region does not have precise boundaries, but is generally understood from a mental map we have learned over the years. An example is the Pacific Coast, the South, or the Midwest.
A B C
D E G
Click on the above sounds and complete 6c

15. PLACE PHYSICAL HUMAN Human
PICTURE A: COURTESY OF RON NIEBRUGGE jpg
Picture B courtesy of arttoday.com
Picture C courtesy of Ron Niebrugge
HUMAN

16. PLACE Place is a unique combination of physical and human attributes.
People develop a sense of place—which is a person’s perception of the human and physical attributes of a location that give it a unique identity in our minds.
The image people have of a place is based on their experiences, both intellectual and emotional.  People's descriptions of a place reveal their values, attitudes, and perceptions.

17. PHYSICAL--PLACE
Physical characteristics include mountains, rivers, soil, beaches, wildlife, soil.  
PICTURE A --COURTESY OF RON NIEBERG
PICTURE B –JANYS HUTCHINGS

18. HUMAN--PLACE
Places have human characteristics also.  These characteristics are derived from the ideas and actions of people that result in changes to the environment, such as buildings, roads, clothing, and food habits.

19. Perceptions of Place
Each of us build a perception of what a place is, based on what we’ve seen or heard about that place. Our perceptions may be wrong, but until we see differently that place is what we envision in our minds.
Complete 7a and 7b

20. MOVEMENT
This looks at the mobility of people, goods, and ideas across the surface of the planet.
Movement is an expression of the interconnectedness of places.
Click on the above link and answer the questions in 8.

21. Types of movement Movement includes :
Friction of Distance—the degree to which distance interferes with some interaction.
ex—I want a carmel apple from Disney Land right now—I’m not likely to get it immediately.
Time-Space Compression—the increasing sense of accessibility and connectivity brings people closer together. It is reducing a perceived distance—not actual.
ex—internet, telephone, television
Complete #9 on your assignment

22. TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
Improvements in transportation systems have helped reduce the time-space compression

23. Distance Decay—the effect in which the interaction between two places declines as the distance between the two places increases.
Complete #10 and you are done with your first AP Human Geography Assignment. Congratulations!