Download 5 Themes Mosaic 2014

Five Themes of Geography
Studying the whole world -- which is the essence of geography -- is an imposing
task that becomes much more approachable when our knowledge of the world is
categorized into distinct concepts. In 1984, the National Council for Geographic
Education and the Association of American Geographers designed the five
themes of geography to facilitate geography education. In subsequent years,
National Geography Standards became the basis for curricula, but the five themes
remain part of the foundation of geography education.
Location: Where Is It?
There are two types of location: absolute and relative. Absolute location is
precise, fixed and unchangeable, such as longitude and latitude or a street
address. An absolute location is independent of the surrounding geography and
remains the same even when other geographic qualities change. For example,
when Tennessee seceded from the Union in 1861, the longitude and latitude of
Memphis remained 35 degrees, 15 minutes north latitude and 90 degrees, 4
minutes west longitude. Conversely, a relative location is dependent on the
surrounding geography and, in some cases, could change or cease to be true over
time. For instance, in 1861, Memphis was located on the banks of the Mississippi
River about 120 miles south of the Union-Confederate border. Both of those
locations are relative because they are based on Memphis’ distance from other
locations. While Memphis’ relative location on the shores of the Mississippi
remains true as of 2013, the city’s relative location 120 miles south of the UnionConfederate border ceased to be true in 1865 when the Union and Confederacy
rejoined to become one nation again.
Place: What Is It Like?
Though location and place sound similar, they describe completely different
attributes. “Location” identifies where something is, while “place” identifies
qualities of a location. You can articulate place by describing physical, natural,
human or cultural features. For example, Memphis is a humid city on the banks
of the Mississippi River, and most of the city’s residents speak English. The city’s
position on the banks of the Mississippi River is its location, its high humidity
describes its natural place, and the predominance of English among its citizens
describes its place in cultural terms.
Human/Environment Interaction
Humans and the environments in which they live constantly impact each other.
The glittering skyline of a metropolis or cultivated rows of apple trees in an
orchard are examples of humans impacting their environments because they had
to change the environment to create those landscapes. The ability of the apple
trees to thrive in their location, due to rich soil, or the consequences of a flood
filling the streets of the metropolis are examples of how the environment can
impact humans. The interaction between humans and their environments can be
positive or negative. While pollution is a negative way that humans interact with
their environments, picking up trash to remove pollution is a positive way that
they affect their surroundings.
Movement
There are three primary components of movement: origin, path and destination.
An immigrant arriving at Ellis Island, a family driving to the Grand Canyon, a
rock slide, a river emptying into an ocean and a shipment of goods all are
examples of movement. In the context of studying geography, describing
movement may be an important quality of the person or thing that moves, or it
may be an important quality that connects two locations. For example, if a turnof-the-century immigrant traveled from Ireland to Ellis Island, the immigrant's
act of movement would be critical to understanding his own geographic location.
Additionally, his movement also would describe a transatlantic immigration
route that links two places: Ireland and Ellis Island.
Regions
A region is a physical area that is united by a specific physical, natural, human or
cultural characteristic. A region may include areas that share the same physical
feature, such as the states that comprise the East Coast of the United States.
Cultural regions are born of a shared cultural trait that most, if not all, of the
people in the region possess, such as the U.S. South. The South has semiformal,
debated physical boundaries, but it is defined by a specific set of cultural
attributes, including a regional dialect and cuisine.
The Five Themes of Geography:
A Mosaic of Your City
Directions:
You will create a “Five Themes of Geography” mosaic that displays information
specific to your city. Your finished product will be graded on neatness, accuracy,
effort, and correct use of examples. You should be creative and original in your
presentation, but remember that your mosaic must include:
1. Your name on the back of the paper
2. The name of your city
3. The titles of each of the “five themes of geography”
4. Images to illustrate each of the five themes (drawn, print, or cut from magazines)
5. Words or phrases to describe what can be found in that location
6. Color-Be Creative