Lesson Goal:

List and define the five themes of geography. Describe how the five themes of geography help organize information about the earth and its people.

5 Themes of Geography

LocationPlaceHuman-Environment InteractionMovementRegion

LocationPosition or site on Earth where a feature is foundAbsolute:

Exact location of a place on EarthLatitude & LongitudeAddress

Relative:Location of a feature in relation to other places

Discussion Question #1 (Location)

Why might sailors be interested in knowing absolute location?

In the middle of the ocean, there would be no way of telling where you are but by using longitude and latitude lines.

PlaceDescribes a location’s featuresPhysical Features: those that occur naturally

Plant and animal life, landforms, elevation, climate, soil, and bodies of water

Cultural Features (Human Characteristics): created by human beings who live there

Number of people who live in a place, how close together people live, and how they make a living

Discussion Question #2(Place)

What are the physical and cultural features of your neighborhood?

Possible answers:Flat or hillyMild climateUrban or rural

Human-Environment Interaction

How people interact with their environment.Two interactions occur:

Humans adapt to their natural environment• Hunting and fishing

Humans change environment to make life better and suit their needs

• Cutting down forests to build homes

Discussion Question #3(Human/Environment Interaction)

What steps would you take to adapt to your environment if you lived in Alaska?Florida?

Alaska: wear warm clothes, live in heated home, buy a vehicle that could

travel in snow.Florida: wear cool clothes, live in an air-conditioned home.

Movement

The way people, goods, and ideas travel from place to place Two examples:

Transportation• RR’s, roads, planes,

sea routes

Communication• Books, newspapers,

telephone, radio, TV, the Internet

Discussion Question #4(Movement)

How might ideas have moved from one place to another hundreds of years ago?Today?

Past: word of mouth, some form of printingToday: books, magazines, telephone, the internet

RegionAreas of the world that have something in commonHuman characteristics

Political RegionCultural RegionEconomic Region

physical characteristics of a region

Natural RegionsClimatic Regions

Discussion Question #5(Region)

What do you think might be some characteristics of the United States’ Southwest region?

Hot temperatures, little rainfall, deserts

Planner: Wed., Sept. 19

Review the 5 Themes of GeographyGroup Activity create 5 Themes of Geo. Collage

Planner: Thurs., Sept. 20

Review the 5 Themes of GeographyGroup Activity create 5 Themes of Geo. Collage

Planner: Fri., Sept. 21

Please turn in 5 Themes of Geography NotesVideo: The Fire Below Us—Remembering Mt. St. Helens

Lesson Goal:

List and define the five themes of geography. Describe how the five themes of geography help organize information about the earth and its people.

5 Themes of Geo. Group Activity

Create a 5 Themes of Geography collage:

Using a magazine, select a photo or illustration that represents each of the 5 themes of geography.Cut and glue each illustration to colored construction paperLabel each picture with the theme it representsTitle the collage “5 Themes of Geography”