Study Guide for 5 Themes of Geography
The 5 themes of geography are used in social studies and history lessons throughout the school year. You need to be familiar with each theme of geography, provide examples of each, and understand its importance.
cati Location of a place is defined according to
its latitude and longitude. Latitude lines measure distances north and south of
the Equator. Longitude lines measure distances east and west of the Prime
Meridian. A place's absolute location is defined with latitude and
longitude lines. This is its exact location.
The geography theme of location
can also deal with relative location. Relative location means how a
place is related or connected to other places through water, land, or
technology.
For example, the latitude and longitude of London, England is 51 |
32 N; 0 | 5 W
written by: Margo Dill • edited by: SForsyth • updated: 10/6/2012Place
:Geographers study this
geography theme by looking at the characteristics that distinguish one place
from another place on Earth. These physical and human characteristics can be
landforms, waterways, people, climate, languages, communication, and
transportation
Movement
:People are always on the move, but this theme of geography is not just about people moving from one place to another in cars and airplanes. Movement also deals with how and why people travel from one place to another. (Movement: People or Animals) Some people travel for career, others to be close to family, and some move to escape war or religious persecution. One example of movement was pioneers heading West on the Oregon Trail.
Geographers also study how products and resources are transported from one region or place to another. This includes manufactured products, crops, and oil. For example, a tractor-trailer delivering oranges from Florida to New York (Earth movement), or a boat delivering a shipment of coffee from Africa to Europe. (Water Movement)
In addition, movement of ideas is also studied. With the advent of technology such as the phone and internet, ideas such as fashion, fads, music and philosophical ideologies are exchanged rapidly from all areas of the globe. Languages also evolve and change based on influence from outside ideas and other languages.
(Ideas and Information)
Human/Environment Interaction :Geographers study the
way humans interact positively and negatively with their environments. (Human
Impact) They also study the lasting
affects these interactions may have on a place. Some examples of this geography
theme are damming a river, polluting the air, building highways or railroads,
and even watering lawns and gardens. Human behavior such as planting trees is a
positive interaction with the environment where creating landfills is a
negative interaction.
Human
adaptation is how Humans change a place or location to meet a need or
want. Sometimes the changes can occur on
their bodies.
Regions
:A
region is a unit on the earth's surface that has unifying characteristics such
as climate or industry. These characteristics may be human, physical, or
cultural. Not only do geographers study characteristics, but they also study
how regions around the world may change over time.
Different types of physical
regions are deserts, mountains, grasslands, and rain forests. In a city or
town, there may be commercial or business regions and then residential
regions.
For example, in the United States, we commonly identify the South as a
region. Those states that are located in the south-eastern part of the United
States have similar climates and grow similar crops, in addition many people
who live there have a "southern" accent. These are characteristics
that help unify this area of land that is considered a region.
Remember Mr. Help.
Movement
Region
HE-
Human environment Interaction
Location
Place
Mr.
Help moved to New World by water via the Atlantic ocean, and brought his ideas and views about Government and easy ways to make money. He lived in the
Southern Region therefore, he lived in a warm climate great for farming. He planted a lot of cotton to make money. He
changed his location because he had to find a way to make a living. Trees were logged in order to make more room for crops. He adapted to the environment by wearing thin cotton clothes great for warm and humid climates. He even made a straw hat. His colony was located west of the Atlantic ocean in a place called Williamsburg, Virginia. Many of the people there were farmers and slave owners.
Can you think of other situations in which all 5 themes of geography are applicable?
