A Review of
The Five Themes of Geography
Click here to watch a movie about the Five Themes of Geography
Location
Where is it? Geographers look at location in two ways:
- Absolute location: latitude or longitude or street address.
- Relative location: Where is it located compared to another place. Example: "It is south of"
Region
Geographers divide the world into my types of regions. These regions have common features. Examples:
- Physical characteristics: Grasslands, deserts, rainforests, forests, polar etc. A great resource is a physical map.
- Political characteristics: States, provinces, cities. A great resource would be a political map.
- Climate: Tropical, Polar, temperate. A great resource would be a Special-purpose Map: Climate.
- Human characteristics: Belief, customs, food, language, dress, sports and music. A great resource would be special-purpose maps.
Movement
Movement answers the question, how do people, goods and ideas move from place to place? Geographers are interesting in understanding:
- Export and import of goods
- Movement of people: migration "push" and "pull" factors.
- Mass communication
Place
Place answers the question, how is one place different than another? Geographers are interesting in learning:
- Population
- language
- religion
- culture
- food habits
- political systems
Human-environment Interaction
Human-environment interaction answers the question, what is the relationship between people and the environment? Geographers are interesting in learning:
- How do humans adapt to the environment? The environment can affect how people live, work, dress, travel and communicate. In polar regions people wear well-insulated clothing, in the desert people use camels for transportation.
- How do humans modify the environment? How have people made changes to make their lives easier? Examples: Heat house in winter, air conditioning in summer. Create dams, cut trails in the mountainside, grow fertile land in a desert etc.
- How do humans depend on the environment? Farming for food, rivers to transport people and goods, cutting trees down to make paper, for fires etc.
The Five Themes of Geography
Research Questions
Before you answer any questions, click on the TV and watch a movie about the Five Themes of Geography.
Location
- What is the absolute location of your country?
- What is the relative location of your country?
Place
- What is the physical characteristics of your country?Examples:mountains, rivers, climate, beaches, wildlife and plant life
- What are the human characteristics of your country?Examples:What kind of buildings, or roads?What types of food or clothing is worn by people? What is the religion, language, culture or political systems of the people?
Human-Environment Interaction
- How do people adapt or to their environment? In other words, how do people change to live in a particular environment?Examples:People who live in desert areas might travel by camel and those in very cold climates might travel by dog sled.
- How do people modify the environment?In other words, how do people change the environment to suit their needs?Examples:Construct dams, build reservoirs, dig mines)
- How do people depend on their environment?In other words how do people depend on their environment to live?Examples:Wood for fire, coal for heat.Think of peoples basic needs for food, shelter and clothing.
Movement
- Mass Communication:What types of transportation and communication can be found?Examples:telephone lines, satellite, email
- Movement of People:Why and/or how do people travel from place to place?Examples:People travel because of careers, escape from war, escape from religious persecution.People move by car, train, airplane, and even camel.
- Import and Exports of goods:How are products and resources transported from one place to another?Examples:highways, rivers, air routes, ship routes
Region
- How can your country be divided into regions? (select one)
- A country might be divided by its physical characteristics such as biomes.(grasslands, deserts, rainforest's, forests, polar etc.).A physical map can be helpful here.
- A country might divide itself by political characteristics.Example:states, Providences or cities.Looking at a political map could be helpful.
- A third way to divide an area by climate.Examples:tropical, polar, or temperate. A special purpose map:climate is a great resource for this characteristic.
- A fourth way to divide an area such as a country is by human characteristics. Examples:beliefs, customs, food, language, dress, sports and music.A special purpose map could help with this characteristic.
Remember to cite your sources for every fact. MLA please. Click here for examples of MLA.
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Written by Mrs. Fagnan, Librarian St. John's Academy Revised March 2011