Download Unit 1: IntroductioN and The Five Themes of Geography

Part 1: Introduction and The Five
Themes of Geography
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Upon completion of this unit, TSWBAT:
1. Define what geography is
2. Explain the five themes
3. List different fields and subfields of
geography.
4. Explain the two types of geography-physical
and human.
5. Discuss the six essential elements of
geography.
What does it mean to you?
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WASHINGTON (CNN) – After years of
combat, nearly two-thirds of Americans aged
18 to 24 still cannot find Iraq on a map.
Five years after Hurricane Katrina devastated
New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, 33 percent
could not point out Louisiana on a U.S. map.
Geography is a method, not a body of
knowledge.
Geography is not just the location of
countries or states, but also the study of the
Earth’s natural systems.
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Geographers are people who study how the
natural environment influences people, how
people’s activities affect Earth, and how the
world is changing.
The term geography was coined by
Eratosthenes, a follower of Aristotle, in the
third century B.C.!
The term spatial comes from the noun “space”the earthly, terrestrial space.
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Geography is divided into two main brancheshuman geography and physical geography.
Human geography is the study of the
distribution of the world’s people.
Physical geography focuses on the Earth’s
natural environment.
Perspective –or the way a person looks at
something-is a very important part of studying
geography.
Subfields of Physical Geography
Meteorology
The study of weather
Cartography
The study of maps and mapmaking
Biogeography
The study of the spatial patterns of living things
Climatology
The study of climate, weather conditions averaged
over a period of time
Oceanography
The study of the oceans. It is also called oceanology
and marine science.
Hydrology
The study of water throughout the Earth
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Location is divided into two parts-absolute
location and relative location.
Absolute location, or specific location, is often
indicated by a physical address. For example,
the absolute location of the Empire State Building
is:
350 5th Ave
New York, NY 10118
The relative, or general location, is indicated by
stating where something is located in relation to
something else. For example, we would say that
Bel-Air Mall is located at I-65 and Airport Blvd.
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This is a description of what the place
(location) is like.
In this theme, we describe the physical as well
as the human characteristics of the place.
For example, when describing Denver,
Colorado, one might say: Physical: Denver is
located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.
The climate is extremely cold in the winter with
high amounts of snowfall and bitter cold
temperatures.
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When discussing, human characteristics of a
place, one may describe Mobile is a coastal city
on the Gulf of Mexico that has large seafood
industry. Other crops include cotton, corn,
strawberries, potatoes, and watermelon. One
could even mention the Azalea Trail Run and
the Azaleas, Mardi Gras, and it is generally a
conservative city.
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This is where the people and the environment
interact and work together.
This theme is divided into three parts:
1. How people have been changed by the
environment.
2. How the environment has been changed by
people.
3. How people depend on the environment.
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This includes the movement of people, things,
such as goods, as well as communications (the
movement of ideas).
We can describe the type of communications a
place has and the main forms of transportation,
as well as what goods are exported and
imported. These all come under the heading of
movement.
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Regions are areas that can be grouped together
by a set of things special to that region. We
have countries, ruled by governments, areas
speaking the same language, or having the
same religion, and we have areas served by a
particular service, such as a school district.
For example, the Southeast is considered a
region. The Pacific Northwest and the
Southwest are other regions in the United
States
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4.
5.
6.
The World in Spatial Terms
Places and Regions
Physical Systems
Human Systems
Environment and Society
The Uses of Geography