5 Themes of Geography

What is geography?The study of humans interacting

with their environmentPhysical EnvironmentBuilt EnvironmentSocial Environment

5 different categories or themesLocationPlaceMovementHuman Environment InteractionRegion

LocationEverything on earth

has a locationAbsolute location:

Specific! Defined by latitude and longitude◦ Logan is located at 41

degrees North Latitude and 111 degrees West Longitude

Relative Location: described by landmarks, directions, distance from one place or another◦ “I live next to the

hospital”

Let’s Practice!Turn to your neighbor and explain

absolute location. Give an example

Turn to a different neighbor and explain relative location. Give an example

PlaceEvery Place on

earth has characteristics that make it different from another place

Physical Place: Mountains, rivers, lakes, soil, animals

Human Place: ideas, clothing religion, food habits, buildings

Let’s Practice!Think about places you have

visited or lived before. How did that place look different from where you live now?

Describe that “place” to a neighbor. Tell them if you are talking about physical place or human place

Human Environment Interaction

Humans and the environment effect each other

People change the environmentPeople adapt to the environmentPeople depend on the

environment

Let’s Practice!Think about your summer

vacation. What are at least 2 ways that you interacted with your environment.

Share your thoughts with a neighbor

MovementPeople, goods, and ideas moveMovement shapes our worldMovement allows for interaction

between people

Let’s Practice!How did you use movement

today?How might the movement of

ideas change a city or country?Share your thoughts with your

neighbor

RegionAn area that displays similarities

◦Most areas are LARGEPhysical similarities or human similarities

◦Government, language, desert, frozen tundraFormal Regions

◦Defined by boundaries or measurable similarities

◦United States, Amazon River BasinFunctional Regions

◦Area that has a function◦Shopping region, Farming region

Region

Let’s Practice!Look at the 1st picture.

What similarity makes this a region?

Look at the 2nd picture. Is this an example of a formal region or a functional region? Explain your answer.

Look at the 3rd picture. Is this an example of a formal region or a functional region? Explain your answer.