5 themes of geography

     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?