Download 5 Themes doc - Louisiana 101

NAME_________________________________________________________PERIOD___________
5 THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY
FILL-IN-THE-BLANK NOTES
 The five themes of geography include:
o Location
o Place
o Human-Environment Interaction
o Movement
o Region
Location-Where are we?
 There are two types of location.
 Absolute location describes an exact position.
o An example of this would be your street address or the latitude and longitudinal coordinates of Paris,
France.
 Relative location is a roundabout position. You could describe your relative location by describing
landmarks, time, direction, or distance from one place to another.
o Example: If you were to provide someone with the relative location of Monteleone Jr. High, you
might say near Fontainebleau State Park.
Place-What is it like there?
 There are 2 ways to describe place—human characteristics and physical characteristics.
 Human characteristics explain the main languages, customs, and beliefs.
o Give a human characteristic of New Orleans—Mardi Gras, mainly Catholic
 Physical characteristics give details about the landforms, climate, vegetation, and wildlife.
o What would be a physical characteristic of Antarctica? Tundra, sub-zero climate
Human Environment Interaction-How do humans and the environment affect each other?
 We depend on it.
o Example: People depend on the Mississippi River for transportation.
 We modify it.
o Example: How do you modify the temperature in your house during the summer? Use the a/c; open
windows
 We adapt to it.
o Example: On rainy days, we adapt to the environment by wearing raincoats, ponchos, etc.
Movement-How are people, goods, and ideas moved from place to place?
 There are 3 types of movement described in geography.
 Human Movement explains the way we get from place to place.
o Example: You get to school by way of bus or car.
 Information Movement describes the way information is passed from one place to another.
o Example: If you wanted to inform someone that you were having a party, you could provide that
information by way of phone, email, invitation.
 Idea Movement describes how ideas or thoughts move from place to place.
o Example: To keep up with the latest fashion trends, you could watch tv; read a magazine.
Regions-How are regions similar to and different from place to place?
 There are 3 types of geographical regions.
 Formal regions are defined by governmental or administrative boundaries like states, countries, and cities.
o An example of a formal region would be St. Tammany Parish.
 Functional regions are defined by a function.
o An example of this would be your cell phone service region or the local newscast we see on
television.
 Vernacular regions are regions defined by a person’s perception.
o For example, some people may describe the West Coast as the states in the U.S. which border the
Pacific Ocean.
o Provide another example of a vernacular region. The Deep South, The Middle East
An easy way to remember the 5 themes of geography is to ask MR. HELP!
 M--Movement
 R--Regions
 H/E—Human-Environment Interaction
 L--Location
 P--Place