The Five Themes of Geography

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