1. The Five Themes of Geography
Chapter 1, Section 1

2. What Does It Mean?
In your social studies notebook, write about what you think the subject of geography covers.

3. The Study of the Earth Geography  the study of the Earth
Geographers  analyze the Earth from many points of view
Study things such as oceans, plant life, landforms, people
Study how the Earth and its people affect each other

4. The Five Themes of Geography
Geographers are guided by two basic questions:
1. Where are things located?
2. Why are they there?
Use five themes to organize information

5. Location Absolute location  a place’s exact position on Earth
Lines of latitude are east-west circles around the globe
“Parallels” because lines never cross
Circles divide the globe into units called degrees
Equator  0 degrees latitude
Geographers measure locations either north or south of the equator

6. Location
Longitude  also known as “meridians”, circle the globe from north to south
The Prime Meridian  0 degrees longitude
Relative location  explains where a place is by describing places near it

7. Parallels

8. Place
A location’s physical and human features

9. Human-Environmental Interaction
How people affect their environment
The physical characteristics of their natural surroundings
How their environment affects them
Also used to discuss consequence’s of people’s actions

10. Movement Helps geographers understand the relationship among places
Helps explain how people, goods, and ideas get from one place to another

11. Regions Used to make comparisons Climate, land population, history
On maps, geographers use color and shape or special symbols to show regions
For example, a plain  region of flat land; elevation