The Five Themes of Geography How Do We View the World Around Us? By Nicole Copeland
What is Geography? Geography is the study of the earth''s surface; includes people''s responses to topography and climate and soil and vegetation. "geography." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2013. Web. 4 May 2013. <http://www.definitions.net/definition/geography>. What the Earth looks like. How people interact with the environment ClipArt Collection. 2007
What are the Five Themes of Geography? The Five Themes of Geography are categories that scientists use to study Earth s features: Movement Region Human-Environmental Interaction Location Place ClipArt Collection. 2007
Movement Humans interact with each other as well as many places and things almost every day. We travel from place to place; we communicate with each other in many different ways; and we depend on products, information, and ideas that come from outside our own environments. MOVEMENT explores where different resources are located, the people that use them, and how they are transported to locations all over the earth s surface. The theme of MOVEMENT helps us understand how we connect with, and depend on, other regions, cultures, and people in the world. All ClipArt from Microsoft ClipArt. 2007
Movement cont How are people, goods, information and ideas moved from place to place?? People/Goods Trucks/Cars Planes Trains/Buses Boats Information Telephones Computers (email, internet) Mail ClipArt. 2007 Ideas (How trends and fads move from place to place.) Magazines/Books Radio Television
Regions Scientists divide the Earth s land into sections, called Regions, based on certain traits those sections share. Regions may be created based on: Same Climate (weather trends) Location (where it is on a map) Languages & Cultures of the people Landforms (mountains or plains, wetlands or desert) Examples: North America/South America (based on location on the map) Latin America (primarily Spanish speaking countries) ClipArt from Microsoft ClipArt Collection. 2007
Regions cont. Col, Jeananda. Enchanted Learning. http://www.enchantedlearning.com 2010 Regional Map of the United States
Human-Environmental Interactions How people interact with their surroundings. People depend on their environment. We depend on the land (soil) to grow food. We depend on rivers and streams for drinking water & or transporting goods. People modify (change) the environment. We pave roads to travel on. We clear land to build houses & buildings on. People adapt to their environment. We wear lighter clothing in the summer (warm/hot) and wear heavier clothing in the winter (cold). All ClipArt Collection. 2007.
Human-Environmental Interaction cont There are consequences as well as benefits to the actions we take in interacting with our environment: Positive: More interaction between people of different cultures ClipArt from Microsoft ClipArt Collection. 2007 Negative: Faster use of the Earth s natural resources. Air pollution Global warming ClipArt Collection. 2007
Location The theme of Location answers the question: Where is it? It describes where a place is on Earth. There are two kinds of location: Absolute location: The exact location of a place on Earth. Relative location: Location of a place when compared to other places.
Location cont. Absolute location: The exact location of a place on Earth. Examples: Degrees of latitude and longitude on a globe or map. Address of a house or building. ClipArt Collection. 2007 ClipArt Collection. 2007 The Latitude & Longitude of Michigan is: 44.3148443 N, 85.60236429999998 W - this is Michigan s absolute location on a map of the Earth. ClipArt Collection. 2007
Location cont. Relative location: The location of a place in relation to other places. Usually described by: Direction (North, South, East, West) Landmarks that are nearby Distance to or from another place Examples: Our school is West of Telegraph Road, and four blocks from the fire station. My house is on Ann Arbor Trail, across the street from the gas station.
Place The theme Place answers the question: What is it like there? A place is often known by its own special characteristics. Characteristics are special traits or qualities that a place can have. Types of characteristics for Place: Human Physical
Place cont. Human Characteristics: The main customs, languages, and beliefs of the people in a certain place. Special traditions or holidays Clothing styles Political ideals Architecture (how buildings are made) ClipArt Collection. 2007
Place cont. Physical Characteristics: Mountains, plains Oceans, rivers, lakes Climate (hot, cold, humid, dry) Types of animals that live there What types of plants grow there. All ClipArt Collection. 2007
Conclusion Scientists use the Five Themes of Geography so that they can understand how the world works, and what people can do to make it better for all of us. ClipArt Collection. 2007
References World Atlas Online. Retrieved from Web 5 May 2013. http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/ findlatlong.htm#.uyacxcqha08 Sutcliffe, Andrea, The New York Public Library Amazing US Geography: A Book of Answers for Kids, John Wiley and Sons Inc., 2001. Education World: Five Times Five: Five Activities for Teaching Geography's Five Themes. 2009. Retrieved from Web on 5 May 2013. http://www.educationworld.com/a_ lesson/lesson/lesson071.shtml All ClipArt and Media Sounds courtesy of Microsoft ClipArt and Media Gallery. 2007.