Download 5themesofgeography

Mr. Cotignola
9/13
Aim: How do the themes of
geography help us understand
the cultures of the world?
Do Now: How would you describe
the town you live in to a person from
another country?
Geography
Geography is the study of the earth and
its features.
What are the five themes?
•
Tools geographer’s use to study
features on earth.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Location
Place
Movement
Region
Human Environment Interaction
1. Location
• Describes where places are at on earth.
• Types of Location:
– ABSOLUTE: exact location on earth (fixed)
• Doesn’t change
– Latitude/Longitude
– Hemispheres
– Grid System
– Address
– RELATIVE: compared to other places (variable)
• Changes dependent upon where you’re comparing it
to.
– Miles
– Distance
– Direction
Absolute Location
• Examples:
– Rome is located at 41 N, 12 E
– Argentina is located in the southern
hemisphere
Relative Location
• Examples:
– Rome is located near the Mediterranean
Sea.
– Medford is east of Smithtown
– Ecuador is south of Mexico.
2. Place
• A place is defined by it’s unique characteristics.
– Physical characteristics
– Cultural characteristics
Physical Characteristics
• Specific to that place
– The way a place looks.
• Created by nature.
– Mountains
– Rivers, Lakes, Seas
– Climate
– Vegetation
Cultural Characteristics
• Specific to THAT place, not generic.
– Peoples activities change the way a place
looks or is represented.
• Man-made or invented.
–
–
–
–
Language
Unique buildings
Religious Practices
Celebrations/traditions/holidays
• Examples:
– Portuguese is the official language of
Brazil.
– Cinco de Mayo is a national holiday in
Mexico.
– The Fourth of July is a national holiday in
the United States
3. Movement
– People, goods & ideas move from place to place.
– The world is connected
• Examples
– Immigration to the US.
4. Region
• The world is divided into different
regions based upon similarities &
differences.
–
–
–
–
–
Climate
Location
Beliefs
Languages
Ethnicity/Race
• Types:
– Formal
– Functional
– Perceptual
Formal Region
• Most common.
• Determined by the distribution of a
uniform characteristic (physical or
cultural)
– Location
– Climate
– Religion
• Examples
– Central America (Mexico, Guatemala,
Nicaragua, Panama)
– Latin America (spanish-speaking nations)\
– The Middle East
– Tropics (countries located near equator)
Functional Region
Serves a purpose that affects places around it.
– Distributes goods/people
– Serves specific purpose
Example:
– Panama Canal
Perceptual Region
• Groups of areas that provoke a certain
stereotype or feeling.
• Examples:
– The Bronx
– The “ghetto”
– China town
Human/Environment
Interaction
• The environment & people are
interconnected.
Examples
--Climate Change (global warming)
– Farming
– Water Conservation
– Natural Resources
Assignment
How do the themes of geography impact how
people live in the world?
Draw a cartoon that shows all the themes of
geography. Provide a definition and a picture
that explains how the theme affects the way
people live
*This will be collected and graded as a
participation assignment